Before President Trump signed the Great American Outdoor Act into law yesterday, he said the measure would be the “biggest boost to conservation by any president since Teddy Roosevelt.” Don’t know about that for certain, but there’s little doubt that the provisions in the new law will do more to help the ailing infrastructure of our country’s public lands. In today’s news section, you’ll also see a new report that says several hundred thousand acres of those public lands are effectively landlocked. With the GAOA now passed, there should be enough money in the federal coffers to allow Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and his staff to address plenty of issues.
Many of our outdoor organizations were in attendance for that historic signing. Each of them issued statements. Rather than try to summarize the many flavors of what is essentially the same news story, we’re putting them down here in the feature section. That’s not to slight them out of Top Story treatment, but to recognize them for a decade of efforts to secure the future of our public lands. When we say “we couldn’t have done it without you” it’s often a platitude. This morning, it’s a sincere statement to thank each of them for their efforts.
As we’ve written many times before, “none of us is as smart as all of us.”
Congratulations, everyone.
Jim Shepherd
Here are the reactions from some of our conservation groups:
Congressional Sportsman Foundation:
"Signing the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law represents the single greatest financial commitment to increasing public land access and opportunities for sportsmen and women in a lifetime, and marks a monumental victory for the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) in its work on behalf of hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers.”
National Shooting Sports Foundation:
“The Great American Outdoors Act is bold in its scope and historic in the guarantee that public lands and waters will be accessible to America’s conservation-minded hunters and recreational target shooters.
American Sportfishing Association:
"The Great American Outdoors Act permanently funds the highly successful Land and Water Conservation Fund which, for the past five decades, has helped provide access to recreational areas, trails and waterways throughout the nation. Importantly for the sportfishing industry, the Great American Outdoors Act ensures that $15 million annually is dedicated to expanding public access for fishing and other forms of outdoor recreation.”
Outdoor Industry Association:
"Making the ‘Great American Outdoors Act’ law accomplishes what the outdoor industry has always endeavored to do – support thousands of jobs, open up access to outdoor areas for more people, and give local communities more tools to thrive economically."
Safari Club International:
"SCI worked to advance this bill to the President's desk since the day it was introduced. The GAOA was the centerpiece of SCI's Virtual Advocacy Week with Senator Gardner & Senator Daines making live video appearances to provide updates. SCI advocates from all 50 states sent thousands and thousands of emails to their Senators and Congressmen between May and July, urging them to support and pass the GAOA.”
Boone & Crockett Club:
"The Boone and Crockett Club's founder, Theodore Roosevelt, would be proud of this commitment to invest in the management of the public lands legacy that he created. The Great American Outdoors Act brought together both parties because conservation is one of the few issues that everyone in this great country can get behind. Whether you hunt, fish, camp, hike, backpack, walk, paddle or just like to take your child to the neighborhood park, this new law will benefit all Americans.”
Houston Safari Club Foundation:
“We applaud the hard work, over many years, of so many individuals and organizations that dedicated themselves to the passage of this landmark legislation and we thank President Trump for the fulfillment of his promise to improve America’s public lands and waters.”
Mule Deer Foundation
“The Mule Deer Foundation and our partners in the hunting-conservation community thank President Trump along with Senate and House leaders for working together to enact the Great American Outdoors Act into law. Many of us have been working on securing full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund – particularly to ensure improved access for other sportsmen and women – for decades."
Ducks Unlimited:
“The truly bipartisan nature of this bill is commendable, and the President’s signature today puts the finishing touches on what will go down as one of the great conservation achievements of our lifetime.”
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
"This is a landmark accomplishment and a tremendous victory for conservation! It simply cannot be overstated how vital this program is for our public lands, wildlife and outdoor recreation.”
"The enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act is a victory that we celebrate with everyone: outdoor enthusiasts, sportsmen and women, businesses, farmers, foresters, families, veterans and local communities that benefit economically from associated tourism and recreation on our public lands."
National Wildlife Federation:
"Congress should build on this bipartisan achievement and jump-start our economic recovery by passing additional job creating measures such as a 21st Century Conservation Corps and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act.”
"To all the lawmakers who carried the water on Capitol Hill, we say thank you, and we thank President Trump for signing the bill into law. Today is proof that conservation stands above partisanship and political rancor.”
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers:
“Success has many fathers and mothers, and without the dedicated, unwavering support of so many – ranging from rank-and-file hunters and anglers, outdoor recreationists and business owners to members of Congress and the President – we would never have achieved this hard-won victory.”
Conservation Federation of Missouri:
"This is an incredible win for wildlife, public lands and waters, and for all Missouri families who enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, hunting or otherwise exploring Missouri’s cherished forests and wildlife areas.”
