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

Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (PUHE) is demonstrating a powerful model of resourcefulness and community collaboration in its mission to restore native pili (Heteropogon contortus) grasslands. Through a strategic combination of park resources and funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Maintenance Action Team (MAT) program, PUHE launched an initiative that not only revitalizes its cultural landscape but also invests in the next generation of conservationists.

Years of storms, flooding, and shifting ground left the beloved Kuralt Trail at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge nearly unusable. A recent Great American Outdoors Act National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (GAOA LRF) funded Maintenance Action Team (MAT) was deployed at the site to create a new elevated boardwalk trail to ensure it would withstand future storms and flooding.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is implementing a full road closure and detour along the park’s corridor in Roanoke, Virginia, from milepost 95.9 at Montvale Overlook (south of Peaks of Otter) to milepost 106, near U.S. Route 460, beginning April 14, 2025. This nine-mile closure is the next phase in the previously announced repaving and rehabilitation, Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Funded project.

Here in Hawaiʻi, GAOA funding is being used to rehabilitate approximately 64 miles of perimeter exclusionary fencing across Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, Haleakalā, and Kalaupapa National Parks. These fences are not just barriers; they are essential tools for protecting native ecosystems and watersheds from the destructive impact of non-native animals.

The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund is funding two major rehabilitation projects in Everglades National Park. The Rehabilitation of Parkwide Water and Wastewater Systems project addresses the physical and operational deficiencies of the park’s potable water distribution systems and wastewater collection systems. The Flamingo Bulkheads Rehabilitation project will rehabilitate existing historic seawall bulkheads, walkways, and aging amenities within the park’s Flamingo Mission 66 Developed Area Historic District.

Today the Bureau of Land Management broke ground on a critical infrastructure project to protect and enhance the iconic Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and unique, significant resources of surrounding public lands. With an investment of $8.3 million from the Great American Outdoors Act, the project will add engineered and living shoreline components to reduce erosion and sediments entering the Intracoastal Waterway.

In the heart of Pearl Harbor, where history and sacrifice intertwine, stands a silent sentinel: Mooring Quay F-6-S. This unassuming concrete structure, once a bustling dock for mighty battleships, now serves as a poignant memorial to the valor and resilience of those who endured the December 7, 1941, attack. Time and the unforgiving marine environment have taken their toll on this historic quay. But thanks to the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the skilled craftspeople of the MAT are once again breathing new life into this vital piece of history.

The winds of change have swept across Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, and the landscape is looking healthier and safer than ever before! This hallowed ground, where the opening major battle of the U.S.-Mexican War unfolded, recently received critical care through a vegetation management and hazard tree removal project. This project, made possible by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund, ensures that this important piece of American heritage remains protected and accessible for all who wish to experience it.

The César E. Chávez National Monument, located in Keene, California, commemorates the life and work of César E. Chávez, a civil rights activist who fought for the rights of farmworkers. The Monument is currently undergoing significant rehabilitation work made possible by several funding sources including the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA).

In the wake of Hurricane Irma's devastation in 2017, the Virgin Islands National Park faced a daunting task: rebuilding a beloved landmark. The historic Cinnamon Bay Danish Warehouse, a centuries-old structure, lay in ruins. But thanks to the Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC) and the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), this story isn't about loss— it's about rebuilding, preserving our nation's heritage, and investing in further developing skilled tradespeople.