A bill with significant positive implications for hunters, anglers, and other recreational users of public lands is working its way through the Legislative Branch. America the Beautiful Act, or S. 1547, was sponsored by Senator Steve Daines of Montana and Senator Angus King of Maine on May 1. Earlier in June, it took a meaningful step toward being put into law when it unanimously passed out of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
“The America the Beautiful Act is one of the greatest conservation wins of our time, and I’m thrilled to see it pass out of committee today with widespread bipartisan support,” Senator Daines said. “As we look forward to America’s 250th anniversary, what better way to celebrate our national parks, the crown jewels of America, than by signing America the Beautiful into law? Let’s get it to the President’s desk.”
The bill, which appears to have strong bipartisan support, essentially renews funding for an earlier bill, called the Great American Outdoors Act. One of the things that bill did was authorize the Legacy Restoration Fund, which dedicated $1.9 billion annually to address the deferred maintenance backlog at national parks and other public lands. That funding lapsed in 2025, and the America the Beautiful Act would renew it through 2031.
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the projects considered “deferred maintenance” are “maintenance and repair activity that was not performed when it should have been or was scheduled to be performed but was delayed to a future period.” In September 2025, the agency estimated that the backlog included over $35 billion of needed work across the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Education, and Bureau of Land Management.
The America the Beautiful Act would allow federal agencies to make valuable progress on these projects, though it wouldn’t make a massive dent in the backlog. That said, conservation groups are cheering its progress and pushing hard to get it passed, and not just because of the money it would free up for important projects.
“The America the Beautiful Act wouldn’t just fund maintenance on our national parks, forests, and refuges—it would require federal agencies to prioritize public access,” explained Joel Webster, chief conservation officer at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “That means better water infrastructure on refuges for waterfowl hunters, passable trails for turkey and big game hunters, and improved access points for anglers.”
One reason that reauthorizing the Legacy Restoration Fund appears to be politically popular is where the funds would come from—energy production on public lands. In fact, trade groups are supporting the legislation.
“As energy producers that operate on multiple-use public lands in the West, Alliance members support responsible land management policies,” said Melissa Simpson, president of the Western Energy Alliance. “They recognize the important balance that exists between developing the natural resources our nation needs with conserving and restoring the iconic and historic landscapes that we all treasure.”
Senator Daines says he hopes to get the legislation signed into law by July 4. A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by congressmen Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing. The House version of the bill passed the House Committee on Natural Resources on Wednesday, June 24.
Now’s the time to let your elected representatives know you’re tracking and supporting this critical legislation. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers makes it easy to do so on the organization’s Call to Action Page.
Read the full article here