President Trump called on senators to deliver on conservation bill — they listened

Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) announced Monday an agreement had been reached to address two pressing conservation issues in the form of The Great American Outdoors Act. Following President Trump’s call for action, the pair revealed that Congress is ready to advance this legislation that will restore our national parks and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). 

The Great American Outdoors Act combines provisions from the Restore Our Parks Act (ROPA) as well as legislation to permanently fund the LWCF. The bill would use energy revenue from federal lands to help address the National Parks Service deferred maintenance backlog as well as provide funding to LWCF. Action to protect our national parks has been long overdue, but it’s nevertheless encouraging to see Republicans and Democrats join forces to address an issue that the vast majority of Americans care deeply about. 

Widespread concern for our public lands is not surprising considering that every year, hundreds of millions of people travel to national parks to visit our nation’s most iconic sights. Since their founding, national parks have been a treasured piece of American heritage, dating back to when President Grant created Yellowstone National Park in 1872.

Americans across generations have been inspired by the vast natural beauty our parks have to offer, but unfortunately, sites from the Grand Canyon to Acadia are currently at risk because of the $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog. Deteriorating roads, buildings and facilities seriously threaten countless national parks and the opportunity for millions of Americans to experience one of our great traditions. 

A recent poll from Pew revealed that 82 percent of Americans want Congress to pass legislation to address the overdue repairs. Overwhelming public support provides just one of many reasons to address the maintenance backlog. Resolving this issue also has major economic implications; the National Parks Service estimates national parks contribute $40 billion annually to the United States economy and support over 300,000 jobs. 

By itself, ROPA would support the National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund to address the maintenance backlog. The stand-alone bill would require that 50 percent of all collected energy development royalties be deposited into the restoration fund until Fiscal Year 2023. ROPA has over 300 co-sponsors in the House and more than 40 co-sponsors in the Senate.

There’s a reason this bill has such far-reaching support in both chambers of Congress. It offers a common-sense, effective solution to a problem that most Americans want resolved. By relying on energy royalties for funding, Americans can have their parks restored without being subject to a tax increase. Bipartisan cooperation seems increasingly rare in Congress, but with a solution as solid as this one, Republicans and Democrats can finally come together and restore our parks by including ROPA provisions in The Great American Outdoors Act.   

The energy development royalties that would be used to fund deferred maintenance are also a key component of LWCF. For this reason, efforts to fully fund LWCF and restore our parks go hand in hand, which is why both efforts are being pursued simultaneously.

Established in 1964, LWCF works by investing royalties from offshore oil and gas leasing and then distributing the funds to stakeholders to preserve and protect our national parks, forests and recreation areas. Congress is responsible for appropriating the funds, but in the program’s history, lawmakers have only appropriated full funding once. 

Republicans and Democrats have grappled for years over how much funding should be allocated to LWCF, but thankfully, this partisan posturing should soon be a thing of the past. As is the case with national parks, the Land and Water Conservation Fund is an incredibly popular program, and providing it with sufficient funding should be something Congress, however polarized, can agree on.

Last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) alluded to this changing mentality and signaled that addressing these issues in a bipartisan fashion would be a priority, saying: “We’re looking at infrastructure. We’re looking at a parks bill. We’re looking at Land and Water Conservation. There are, even in the midst of the election, some things that I think we can do together.”

This change in tone is part of a larger phenomenon of Republicans taking the lead on environmental issues. Even just a few years ago, a Republican who suggested addressing deferred maintenance or fully funding LWCF would have been out of step with the party. But now it is increasingly the case that both parties want to promote conservation. 

Republicans and Democrats are still divided on many environmental issues, but this should not stop them from working together where there is common ground. Protecting our national parks isn’t partisan. The Great American Outdoors Act will ensure that generations of Americans to come will get the opportunity to enjoy our nation’s best idea.   

Quill Robinson is the vice president of government affairs at the American Conservation Coalition.