The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Wednesday advanced S.1547, the America the Beautiful Act. The bill was unanimously reported out of committee by a bipartisan voice vote and now advances to the full Senate. If passed by both chambers and signed into law, the legislation would reauthorize the Great American Outdoors Act and the Legacy Restoration Fund, which expired in 2025.
The Legacy Restoration Fund provides $1.9 billion to address deferred maintenance on public lands. Across federal land management agencies, the deferred maintenance backlog totals roughly $43 billion. The fund will be used to repair or replace aging buildings, roads, trails, campgrounds, and water treatment systems.
“Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins did the right thing supporting this bill to direct funding and address critical maintenance concerns on public lands, but it is truly the very least they could do,” said Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Aaron Weiss. “Now it’s time they start repairing the damage they’ve caused over the last 18 months.”
Trump’s war on wind continues
On Wednesday, the Interior department said it would pay an energy company $765 million to abandon its plans to build four wind farms in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The agreement is the third deal struck by the Trump administration to cancel offshore wind leases. The administration has now spent about $2.5 billion terminating wind projects.
Quick hits
Trump administration to pay $765M to cancel 4 more wind projects
Associated Press | New York Times | Los Angeles Times | Washington Examiner | Reuters | E&E News | Heatmap | Electrek
Lawmakers demand info on Trump use of national park fees to pay for D.C. repairs
Reflecting Pool algae blooms have roared back, reaching highest levels in years
Grand Teton, Yellowstone visitors find no ideological bias in signage
Colorado wolf opponents claim election fraud in appeal to USFWS
Advocates warn roadless repeal risks critical resources
Californians ‘horrified’ by plans to spray cancer-linked glyphosate on public lands
Environmental groups push USFS for more public input on Montana mine proposal
Quote of the day
It’s the biggest tourist attraction now.”
—A biker near the algae-infested Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Washington Post
Picture This
Looking for a sign to visit America’s public lands this summer? We present you with two dancing foxes.
This photo was taken at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most visited refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Whether these two are dancing, sparring, or settling an important fox disagreement, moments like this are part of what makes wildlife refuges so special.
America’s public lands are full of moments you won’t find anywhere else. Get outside and discover one for yourself this summer.
Photo by Dianne Cron
(Featured image: Road in Yosemite National Park, CA. Ken Kistler, Public Domain Pictures)