Tn-Birders,
The Great American Outdoors Act was just signed into law. In commemoration,
National Park entrance fees will be waived on Wednesday, August 5th, 2020.
Entrance fees will be waived on August 4th in subsequent years.
This legislation will provide nearly $3B/year to improve our National Parks
and Wildlife Refuges ($900M/yr to fully fund the Land and Water
Conservation Fund and $1.9B/yr over the next 5 years to fund maintenance
backlogs at National Parks & other federal lands). LWCF will be funded by
offshore oil and gas revenues (rather than by tax dollars) and represents
double the current spending.
Passage of this Act is a huge win for birds, birders, and all outdoor
enthusiasts, and was supported by The Nature Conservancy and numerous other
organizations. This Act is anticipated to create 100,000 new jobs and for
many birders this represents the most significant conservation legislation
enacted in their lifetimes.
Hopefully we can all get out and enjoy a National Park or Wildlife Refuge
in the coming months.
Kelly Roy
Knoxville TN
