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

During a visit to Gateway Arch National Park, Secretary Haaland announced a new $17 million investment from GAOA that will enable the park to continue restoration of the Old Courthouse — the site of the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case in 1847 and 1850 — which will help restore the upper floors and exterior of the building. At the completion of the project, the Old Courthouse will have improved accessibility that will allow more visitors to visit this historic place, modernized utilities that will improve the visitor experience, and new exhibits that will tell a fuller story of the Dred Scott case and its impacts on American history.

Indiana Dunes National Park has received approximately $22 million from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund to stabilize and restore three nationally significant historic buildings. This spring, restoration efforts will begin on the Bailly Homestead, the Good Fellow Camp Lodge, and the Century of Progress District’s House of Tomorrow.

This phase of the project will use $31.606 million funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) and aims at revitalizing this historic gem while safeguarding its future. Focus areas are the Kitchen, Dining Room, Great Lounge, egress paths, and chimneys.

While in Yosemite National Park, Sams also toured two historic buildings with rehabilitation and preservation projects funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund. GAOA funded Maintenance Action Teams composed of skilled craftspeople from the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center are performing the work.

The Living Historical Farm at Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is about to undergo a transformative rehabilitation project thanks to funding provided by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund.

The BLM is preparing to improve access to Whitehouse Campground and Trailhead in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. During the construction, access to the campground will be temporarily limited beginning Tuesday, February 6 through Friday, March 29, 2024. This improvement project, funded by The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), is approximately 43 miles east of Kanab, Utah.

On the western edge of North Dakota, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) is not just preserving national parks; it's shaping the future for a new generation of park stewards. Part of the GAOA LRF funding is directed towards Maintenance Action Team (MAT) projects, which specifically target supporting small and medium-sized parks, fostering cost-effective project execution, and inviting the next generation to discover meaningful work with purpose.

In Birmingham, the group joined Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Mayor Randall Woodfin at the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. Established in 2017, the National Monument preserves and interprets the events, stories, and places associated with the nonviolent struggle against racial segregation in Birmingham, during the mid-20th century. The site includes the A.G. Gaston Motel, which served as the headquarters for the Birmingham campaign, as well as the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. The Legacy Restoration Fund of the Great American Outdoors Act is funding a $5.6 million rehabilitation the A.G. Gaston Motel to make the site more accessible.

The National Park Service (NPS) seeks public comments on a proposed project to rehabilitate the water and wastewater systems in Furnace Creek and Cow Creek within Death Valley National Park. The NPS has funding from the Great American Outdoors Act to rehabilitate the park’s two largest water and wastewater systems. The proposed improvements would enhance employee and visitor experiences by providing more reliable service.

This $357,000 deferred maintenance project, made possible with support from the Great American Outdoors Act, improved access for visitors to the refuge. It replaced the deteriorating wood bridges and boardwalks, improved the gravel surfaces and made the first quarter-mile of the trail accessible in accordance with Americans with Disabilities Act and Architectural Barriers Act standards.