S. 3422, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) is swiftly moving through the Senate and is up for the bill’s first procedural vote today. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), the National Wildlife Federation, and other leading sporting-conservation partners are urging members of the U.S. Senate to show up for hunters and anglers by supporting the Great American Outdoors Act. The bill would expand access for hunters and anglers, invest in critical wildlife habitat and public lands, and strengthen the nation’s outdoor heritage for generations to come.
GAOA will provide $9.5 billion over 5 years to address the deferred maintenance backlog on federal public lands and waters with roughly $3 billion set aside to restore the infrastructure on hundreds of millions of acres that provide access and opportunity for America’s sportsmen and women. In total, our federal public land management agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, face nearly $20 billion in deferred maintenance backlog that will be addressed by GAOA. CSF has played a leadership role in securing that this $3 billion of Great American Outdoors Act funds will be made available to benefit sportsmen and women. The Great American Outdoors Act also provides full and permanent funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a monumental conservation program that has completed a project in every single county across the country.
It is critical for members of the U.S. Senate to show up today and vote “yes” on passing the Great American Outdoors Act for hunters and anglers without amendment. Timing is perilous for passing this important piece of legislation. Call (202)-224-3121 and urge your U.S. Senator to be present and vote “yes” on passing the Great American Outdoors Act!
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
