The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be allocating $503 million of funding through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) for deferred maintenance, to improve recreational access, and for land conservation on national forests. The U.S. Forest Service will provide $285 million for 450 deferred maintenance projects in 38 states and Puerto Rico through the Legacy Restoration Fund. In addition, the Forest Service will invest $218 million through the Land and Water Conservation Fund through voluntary land acquisitions to add to the national forest system, and through Forest Legacy projects.

“Thanks to the Great American Outdoors Act, we have already seen tremendous impact on our ability to enhance visitor access and land conservation efforts through the Legacy Restoration Fund and Land and Water Conservation Fund projects,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “Repairing and enhancing the infrastructure on the national forests and grasslands and expanding forest conservation ensures that the Forest Service continues to meet the need for outdoor recreation for current and future generations.”