REI Statement on Passage of The Great American Outdoors Act
REI Co-op applauds the June 17 passing of the Great American Outdoors (GAO) Act by a resounding 73-25 bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate. The Great American Outdoors Act ends a history of underfunding the Land and Water Conservation Fund and not addressing the maintenance backlog on federal public lands - efforts that have been attempted in the past and have been unable to move through the legislative process. It provides $9.5 billion to address that backlog, and $900 million annually for the LWCF. This legislation will help dramatically reduce the growing maintenance backlog on federal public lands and will – for the first time -- provide full and consistent funding for the LWCF’s conservation and recreation goals.