Great American Outdoors Act National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund Newsroom

Independence National Historical Park and Independence Historical Trust will hold a public ribbon cutting on July 1 to celebrate the multi-year, $43 million renovation of the historic First Bank of the United States. The Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund, signed into law by President Trump in 2020, provided the National Park Service with $39.3 million to restore the interior and exterior of the national historic landmark and make critical improvements to enable public visitation for the first time in decades, including replacing leaking metal roofing, stabilizing, cleaning, and repairing marble and brick masonry, enhancing accessibility, correcting moisture incursion problems, and updating the electrical and HVAC systems.

The Department of the Interior today announced the completion and reopening of the rehabilitated Tidal Basin and Potomac River seawalls, marking a significant infrastructure milestone supported by President Donald J. Trump’s Great American Outdoors Act. Following a ribbon‑cutting ceremony led by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the newly restored area is now open for public access.

The National Park Service broke ground today on an approximately $14 million project to rehabilitate employee housing at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2020, the project will rehabilitate 13 existing park housing units located within the park.

The Old Mine Road, a scenic and historic 375-year-old route on the New Jersey side of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, will undergo significant repairs starting on April 6. A 3.5-mile section of road at the northern end of the park, between Route 560 and Route 206, will be under construction. A portion of the route between Jager Road and Route 206 will be closed until the end of summer to enable the work. The repairs are part of a $16.9 million project in the park funded by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2020.

The National Park Service today announced that Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and Chilkoot National Historic Trail recently completed an eight-week rehabilitation of the Sheep Camp Ranger Station and adjacent tool shed. Supported by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund signed by President Donald J. Trump in 2020, the key backcountry hub along the historic Chilkoot Trail was repaired with approximately $400,000 in GAOA funding.

The Fort Spokane Museum and Visitor Center in Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is temporarily closed for critical historic preservation repairs. Dating to 1880, the landmark building originally served as the fort's guardhouse and now operates as the primary hub to introduce visitors to the park and its many resources. Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2020, the project includes repairs to the porch, roof, windows, exterior brick, and interior plaster.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Safford Field Office is planning work through the Great American Outdoors Act to repair and replace recreation facilities and roads in the Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area, near Safford. Work is scheduled to begin the week of March 23 and is expected to take approximately one year to complete.

The $16 million Shoreline Stabilization Project is a critical investment designed to safeguard the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area. Most of the project’s funding was provided through the Great America’s Outdoor Act (GAOA). The GAOA Shoreline Stabilization Project covers approximately five acres, and includes construction of a retaining wall, installation of in-water wave breaks, pilings, artificial reef structures, and an addition of shoreline access points. The planting of upland and tidal vegetation, including mangroves, will enhance and protect the area’s terrestrial and marine habitats while supporting improved recreational opportunities.

The $113 million restoration of the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park seawall is finishing eight months ahead of schedule and under budget. The project and the planting of new cherry trees were made possible through the Great American Outdoors Act, a landmark conservation achievement from President Donald J. Trump’s first administration. This investment addresses decades of flooding, sinking ground, and aging infrastructure while safeguarding the cherry trees and surrounding memorials for future generations.

National Park Service officials announced today that work will resume on a multi-year Great American Outdoor Act road project in western North Carolina. Intermittent road closures are set to begin in mid-March from milepost 280 to 285 near Parkway School Road, and also from milepost 291.8, at US 321/221, to milepost 305.1, near Beacon Heights and US221. This is the final phase of work on a $100M+ project, spanning 75 miles of the parkway. The project includes repaving and rehabilitation along the mainline motor road, as well as repairs to road drainage structures, curbs, walks, shoulders, guardrails, overlooks and signage.