Ian Brickey (202) 675-6270, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On the one-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) becoming law, the Sierra Club called on Congress and President Biden to build on the law’s base and take big, bold action in order to secure a livable and sustainable future. The law permanently funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million annually, providing funding for conservation and park projects across the country and directed at least $9 billion to address the maintenance backlog in national parks and on other public lands.
Jackie Ostfeld, Sierra Club’s Outdoors for All campaign director, released the following statement:
"The Great American Outdoors Act was one of the most important conservation laws in recent memory. It ensured our national parks and public lands will be protected for future generations.
“But if we’re truly going to protect the Great American Outdoors, we need big thinking and bold action. As we face the triple-threats of the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, and the nature equity crisis, the stakes have never been higher to preserve the green spaces we have, protect more of the landscapes we love, and ensure that all people are able to establish a direct connection with nature. GAOA was an essential first step, but it cannot be the last."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.