Great American Outdoors Act & Refuges
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) provides funds to address the maintenance backlog of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other public lands agencies. The funding for GAOA comes from energy development on Federal land and water. Up to $1.9 billion will be available in each fiscal year from 2021 to 2025 to address these maintenance needs. USFWS receives 5 percent of this annual allocation. The following links provide information on FWS projects:
- List of FY2022 Projects by DOI Bureau, see page 2 for FWS proposed projects.
- List of FY2021 Projects by DOI Bureau, see page 9 for FWS selected projects.
The GAOA also provides full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Congress created LWCF in 1964 to protect Federal lands and waters and provide recreational opportunities. GAOA provides LWCF with $900 million annually to support this program. Annually, FWS receives a portion of these funds to support projects, access and land acquisition.
For more information on GAOA and LWCF click here.
Photo credit: Alex Galt/USFWS