Great American Outdoors Act Will Benefit Birds, People, and Parks Across Connecticut
Now signed by the President, the Great American Outdoors Act is officially law.
鈥淪weeping north from Long Island Sound, through to the foothills of the Berkshires, all of Connecticut will benefit from the passage of this legislation,鈥 said Ana Paula Tavares, executive director of 福利姬视频 Connecticut and 福利姬视频 New York. 鈥淧ermanently funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund means better parks, more jobs, and protection of wildlife that depends on our state, like the American Kestrel. We applaud the Connecticut congressional delegation for supporting this important bill and are proud to see it signed into law by the President."
In a bipartisan vote this July , the House of Representative passed the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422), providing permanent, mandatory funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at the authorized amount of $900 million annually at no additional cost to taxpayers. The program will help national parks, local parks, public lands, and athletic fields in every county across the country. The bill was passed by the Senate in June in a 73-25 vote.
鈥淭here couldn鈥檛 be a more important time than now to improve parks, protect birds and wildlife, and create jobs in every state across the country,鈥 said Sarah Greenberger, senior vice president for conservation policy, 福利姬视频. 鈥淏y providing full and permanent funding for the 50-year-old Land and Water Conservation Fund, we will fully realize the law鈥檚 intent to conserve natural landscapes, enhance recreation, and protect wildlife while creating jobs and driving investment in local communities.鈥
The bill also creates a new fund ($1.9 billion annually for five years) to address deferred maintenance projects at the National Park Service, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education schools. These public lands and spaces provide critical bird habitat, protect endangered species, support the capture of carbon emissions, and connect people with birds across the country, but have struggled to keep up with repairs for buildings and infrastructure even as visitation has increased.
鈥淭his is the kind of bipartisanship the country needs,鈥 said David Yarnold, president and CEO of the 福利姬视频. 鈥淥ur parks and public lands are sanctuaries for people and birds alike and now we can do more to provide the protection and care they deserve.鈥
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Media Contact: Sharon Bruce | sharon.bruce@audubon.org
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The 福利姬视频 protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. 福利姬视频 works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give 福利姬视频 an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, 福利姬视频 believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at .