Washington, DC – June 10, 2026 – Moments ago, the leaders of the House Natural Resources Committee, Chairman Bruce Westerman, Co-Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC), and CSC Member and Ranking Member Huffman, introduced the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act 250, reauthorizing a 2020 landmark public lands bill that is a top priority for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF).
The Great American Outdoors Act 250 seeks to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), which was a top CSF priority in the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act that, in part, provided $9.5 billion over five years to address the deferred maintenance backlog on federal public lands. While our uniquely American network of federal public lands is a treasure to all of us, these lands and waters continue to face a significant headwind of deferred infrastructure maintenance across roads, bridges, trails, campgrounds, etc., which can result in a reduction in access for sportsmen and women. This legislation will provide our federal land management agencies with much-needed financial resources to restore the deferred maintenance infrastructure across federal public lands.
“CSF extends our strong appreciation to Chairman Westerman and Ranking Member Huffman for introducing the Great American Outdoors Act 250,” said CSF Senior Vice President Taylor Schmitz. “As America celebrates its 250th Anniversary, it is important to reflect on what makes America unique, and in part, that is our network of federal public lands. This legislation renews and enhances our commitment to the legacy of our public lands.”
CSF is particularly excited to see the inclusion of language that establishes a pilot program for outdoor recreation and sportsmen’s access. Specifically, the pilot program allows up to 15% of funding made available for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to be allocated to support outdoor recreation projects, sportsmen’s access projects, including improving habitat for hunting and fishing.
CSF also appreciates the inclusion of language that increases the limit of the percentage of funding that can be spent on non-transportation projects. The FWS is inherently unique amongst our network of federal public lands as the National Wildlife Refuge and National Fish Hatchery Systems are dedicated to fish and wildlife conservation rather than protecting historical sites, scenery and landscapes, or multiple-use mandates like the National Park Service, BLM, and USFS.
More than a simple reauthorization of the Great American Outdoors Act, this bill transforms the program from a deferred-maintenance initiative into a broader public lands modernization, recreational access, and partnership program, with sportsmen’s access explicitly included as a funding priority.
CSF looks forward to working with Chairman Westerman and Ranking Member Huffman to see the Great American Outdoors Act 250 become law as we celebrate America’s 250th.