ORRA Praises House Committee Action on Legacy Restoration Fund Legislation

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Association (ORRA) President Jessica Turner thanked members of the House Natural Resources Committee, led by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA), for passing the Great American Outdoors Act 250 out of the committee today. The bill, with 133 bipartisan original cosponsors, reauthorizes and strengthens the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), first established as part of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) in 2020. 

“The Legacy Restoration Fund has already delivered transformative results for access to outdoor recreation, funding projects nationwide and improving critical infrastructure across America’s public lands and waters,” Turner said.  “This action to reauthorize and strengthen LRF now, and with new attention to outdoor recreation infrastructure projects, represents a generational opportunity to improve the experience visitors enjoy on our public lands and waters and to equip and maintain them to meet a growing interest in outdoor recreation as a cornerstone of healthy, resilient and sustainable economies and communities as we celebrate America’s 250th and for the next 250 years to come.”

Last week, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed similar legislation. Today’s House action sets the stage for full Senate and House consideration of the bill in the coming days.  The Trump Administration has signaled its support for the bill, and the President hopes to sign it before the official celebration of America’s 250th birthday on July 4. 

ORR has played a leading role in advocating for LRF, including these recent actions:

• ORR’s press release welcoming the introduction of GAOA250 and letter of support.
• ORR supports the America the Beautiful Act introduced by U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Angus King (I-ME), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Mark Warner (D-VA). The legislation has significant momentum in the Senate with 64 bipartisan cosponsors. 
• ORR’s letter of support to advance the legislation in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan agreement (Attached)
• Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Statement on Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Passage of the America the Beautiful Act
• The Legacy Restoration Fund has already delivered transformative results for access to outdoor recreation