Historic legislation will provide more opportunities for people to work on public lands and will restore the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), which recently passed through the Senate and the House of Representatives, was signed into law by the president today, August 4, 2020. Labeled as the 'most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century' by the Associated Press, the GAOA will provide $9.5 billion to address a maintenance backlog on American public lands and will fully and permanently fund the LWCF.

This bipartisan legislation will provide opportunities for resource management agencies to engage service and conservation corps in completing maintenance and improvement projects. "The Great American Outdoors Act will put tens of thousands of youth, young adults and U.S Veterans to work preserving our nation’s forests, parks, cultural and historic sites and scenic waterways for future generations," stated Rob Spath, Conservation Legacy's Chief Executive Officer. "This legislation has been made a reality through years of hard work and partnerships in the conservation community and outdoor industry."

We thank the Congressional Representatives and Senators who have championed and supported this legislation. We look forward to working through this bill to create more equitable access to the outdoors and to provide even more opportunities for people across the country to serve their communities by working on public lands. As a member of the conservation corps community we are ready to lace up our boots, roll up our sleeves, grab our tools and get to work to continue to provide access to public parks and sites for all to enjoy!

Conservation Legacy provides support for local conservation service programs under the leadership of a national organization, delivering high quality programming in communities across the country to produce enduring impact through local action.

In 2019, Conservation Legacy engaged over 2,400 youth, young adults and veterans in conservation, restoration and community development projects and contributed 1.3 million hours of service to public lands. Conservation Legacy programs engage participants on diverse conservation and community service projects that provide opportunities for personal and professional development and meet the high priority needs of public land managers and community partners.