The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), passed by Congress in 2020, directs up to $1.9 billion each year for five years into the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to address the backlog of infrastructure repair and maintenance projects in our public lands. It additionally invests in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools.

The GAOA is the single largest investment in public lands in U.S. history, and the landmark congressional investment is directly benefiting Acadia National Park.

In Acadia, a new maintenance building has been a known need for the park for more than 20 years, but the project remained long relegated to the National Park Service’s deferred maintenance backlog. The GAOA is finally making this project possible.

In addition to the maintenance facility funding, Acadia received more than $7.8 million in funding to rehabilitate water and wastewater systems at Schoodic Point.

Future Great American Outdoors Act projects could include rehabilitation of the former Navy housing at the Schoodic Education and Research Center, repairs or replacement of the Jordan Pond House facilities, and repairs to the Bass Harbor Light.

VIP’s break ground at Acadia’s new maintenance facility. From left to right: Carol Woodcock (staff, Senator Susan Collins), Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Superintendent Kevin Schneider, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau, Senator Angus King. (NPS photo)

Friends of Acadia President and CEO Eric Stiles joined Kristen Brengel, the senior vice president for government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, and Phil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks on the National Parks Traveler podcast for a discussion of GAOA with NPT founder and podcast host Kurt Repanshek. Listen to the episode.

The pressing (deferred maintenence) needs across the park system, along with the accomplishments made so far through the first four years of the Great American Outdoors Act, have NPCA’s Brengel, FOA’s Stiles, and Phil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, advocating for Congress to reauthorize the act before it is set to end in September 2025.

“The No. 1 question I get from our donors is, ‘What is Congress bringing to the table?’” said Stiles. “The cuts and vision in the House, in my opinion, are reckless. I’m much more bullish on the Senate version. As you look at the role of philanthropy in this space, if House members simply think that’s going to be offset by philanthropic support, it’s not the case. Second, it creates a park system of have and have nots. Not every community has that same opportunity, right?”

Read the full story from National Parks Traveler: Park Advocates: Time To Build Momentum For GAOA Reauthorization

Listen to the podcast: National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 287 | Great American Outdoors Act Reauthorization