Huffman, Westerman Advance Historic Bipartisan Investment in National Parks and Public Lands

Huffman, Westerman Advance Historic Bipartisan Investment in National Parks and Public Lands

The American the Beautiful Act passes committee, now heads to House floor

Washington, D.C. - Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Chair Bruce Westerman's (R-Ark.) America the Beautiful Act - formerly known as the Great American Outdoors Act 250 - passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee and is headed to the House Floor for a final vote.

Ranking Member Huffman and Chair Westerman at today's markup. Watch Ranking Member Huffman's opening statement. (June 24, 2026)

"This moment reflects the overwhelming sentiment of the American people who believe our national parks and our public lands are treasures that have to be protected. And this bill will reauthorize one of our nation's most successful investments in the National Park System," said Ranking Member Huffman. "The projects this bill funds improve visitor experiences. They make our parks safer. They help protect our treasured public lands for the next generation. As we get ready to celebrate our 250th birthday, I'm glad Chairman Westerman and I could work together with our Senate counterparts. This has been a complicated journey, but our parks and public lands will be better off for these efforts."

"This year, Americans are celebrating our nation's 250th birthday. In the spirit of 1776, Congress is coming together to enhance access, improve visitor experiences and create new outdoor recreation opportunities at 'America's Best Idea' - our national parks and public lands - and invest in Bureau of Indian Education facilities. This legislation conserves these uniquely American places and will create new opportunities in rural gateway and tribal communities. I would like to thank my bipartisan colleagues on the House Committee on Natural Resources for working together to advance this important legislation," said House Committee on Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)

Ranking Member Huffman also noted the importance of supporting park staff and reversing Trump's whitewashing at national parks across the country, saying: "We also can't make these investments matter the way they should without remembering the people that make our parks function, our park rangers and other public servants. Over the past 18 months, every land management agency has experienced a devastating loss of staff. We must address agency staffing if we're going to truly keep faith with America's best idea. We must also ensure that our national parks and our public lands tell the whole story of American history, including our complicated past and our shared future, and especially doing that on the eve of our nation's 250th anniversary.

During the debate, Huffman noted important updates Democrats negotiated to increase transparency and accountability, improve congressional oversight, and provide guardrails to reduce the risk of the administration using funding for vanity projects. Regarding negotiations over international visitors fees, Huffman said: "The new language applies only to National Park Service sites and gives the Department of the Interior flexibility to tailor these fees to individual sites, much like other fees are set under existing law. This language also encourages local stakeholder engagement in setting the fees, ensuring that tourism-dependent communities have a seat at the table in the decision-making process."

Huffman also made changes to the bill that "makes sure that our park rangers focus on their actual jobs, and it prevents turning them into immigration enforcement agents." The legislation also allows tourists to self-identify at park gates rather than mandating ID checks.

Background

The America the Beautiful Act invests $1.9 billion every year in America's national parks, public lands, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) facilities over the next five years. Our parks and public lands belong to every American. They are where families camp, where veterans find quiet, where kids see a mountain or a bison for the first time. This bill keeps that promise for the next generation. Funded by private donations, onshore energy revenue, and new foreign tourist visitor fees, the bill expands access, protects the places that define America, creates new jobs, and brings new life to the rural towns that rely on our parks and public lands.
Specifically, the legislation:

• Tackles the highest-priority deferred maintenance projects at every federal land management agency and the BIE, so the places Americans love stay open and safe.
• Rebuilds campgrounds, trails, boat ramps, hunting and fishing sites and other recreational infrastructure so more families can get outside to enjoy our nation's treasures and make sure every visitor has a better experience.
• Supports tens of thousands of jobs across the country and billions in revenue for the communities that border our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and public lands.
• Demands transparency and accountability by strengthening Congressional oversight and requiring regular public reporting.
• Adds additional foreign tourists fees to ensure international visitors contribute equally to our national parks.

Read the legislative text here.

What They Are Saying: Outdoor Economy, Recreation and Sportsmen Organizations
What They Are Saying: Industry Leaders and Trade Organizations
What They Are Saying: Non-Profit Partner Organizations

Additional supporter quotes can be found here.
A list of supporting organizations can be found here.

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