Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund for National Parks: Economic impacts of fiscal year 2021 funding

The Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 (GAOA), P.L. 116-152, established the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) to address priority deferred maintenance projects on National Park Service (NPS) and other federal lands. For the NPS, the LRF equates to receiving a maximum of $1.33 billion per year for fiscal years 2021 through 2025. Funding of this magnitude provides the NPS with the opportunity to reduce the maintenance backlog, protect critical resources, expand recreational opportunities, and focus on long-term sustainable operations for the next century. Use of these funds on NPS projects will also support jobs and business activity in local economies across the Nation. The purpose of this analysis is to present preliminary estimates of the economic impacts associated with the NPS Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) projects supported by the LRF.