Information provided by the Office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta.

Congressman Jimmy Panetta voted in favor of the Great American Outdoors Act, a conservation bill that according to a recent release would help to ensure public lands are protected and preserved. The bipartisan legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives and will go to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“The bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act will encourage conservation, recreation, and access to the outdoors while addressing significant deferred maintenance in our National Parks and Forests. By helping to reduce critical infrastructure backlogs, this bill will keep our communities safe and our public lands resilient,” Panetta said. “Additionally, by providing full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which has supported conservation activities on treasured public lands from the Los Padres National Forest to the Watsonville Wetlands, this bill will help ensure our communities can continue to access and assist in the conservation of our natural resources for future generations.”

The release provided some information on how the Great American Outdoors Act would work if signed into law:

The Great American Outdoors Act would ensure that the $900 million permanently authorized by Congress last year funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund at the levels that were promised. The release said this fund is America’s most successful conservation program and these resources will make sure that it continues to:

• Support enhanced park and recreational access for local communities throughout the country
• Addresses environmental injustice by creating green spaces near low-income communities and communities of color across the country by preserving our natural heritage in an equitable manner
• Strengthens the recreation economy, which is one of the fastest growing economic sectors and a key driver of jobs across the country
• Implements recommendations from the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis’ Solving the Climate Crisis action plan to support the goal of protecting at least 30% of all U.S. lands and ocean areas by 2030 while helping fragile ecosystems, wildlife populations and communities become more resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis

The release also said the Great American Outdoors Act would establish the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, providing federal land management agencies with critical resources to address the $22 billion deferred maintenance backlog on our public lands.

See full bill here.