House Scheduled to Vote on Bipartisan Public-Lands Bill This Week
Eric Tegethoff, Producer
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
BOISE, Idaho -- The House is expected to take up a milestone public lands bill this week. The Great American Outdoors Act passed the Senate with bipartisan support in June and would provide $9.5 billion over the next five years to address a backlog of maintenance costs on public lands.
Jonathan Oppenheimer, external relations director with Idaho Conservation League, said those funds will improve access to places such as national parks and forests.
"There are trails that are falling into disrepair," Oppenheimer said. "There are facilities and roads that also have been forced to close as a result of the lack of regular maintenance."
The measure also would fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program that improves public lands access and invests in building parks and other recreational facilities. Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson is a co-sponsor of the bill and has been one of its lead champions.
Oppenheimer said national forests in Idaho's panhandle have suffered from a lack of maintenance funding and have some of the biggest backlogs in the country. He said this bill will go a long way toward improving these places for Idahoans.
"Whether you hunt or fish or hike or ride on our public lands, the bill will help maintain access to the special places that Idahoans love," he said. "And I really think that the strong bipartisan support for this legislation speaks volumes for how Americans care about their public lands."
Members of the House are expected to vote on the Great American Outdoors Act on Wednesday. President Donald Trump has promised to sign the bill if it passes Congress.
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