America’s national parks and public lands are more than scenic destinations. They’re places where families make memories, history is preserved, and the story of our country is told in stone and open spaces. As Americans celebrate the 250th birthday of the founding, these places remind us of what we’ve inherited and the legacy we must protect for the next generation.
It’s a responsibility that requires major investments to maintain our public lands. In addition to marble monuments and historic markers, there are hundreds of trails and campgrounds in desperate need of repair. At national parks, there are visitor centers, roads, bridges, and basic infrastructure that are falling apart. Record visitation, combined with time and nature, is causing tremendous strain. The result is a backlog of projects that threaten access, safety, and the visitor experience at the places Americans love.
Whether driving hundreds of miles across the country or a couple of hours from home to get outdoors, the last thing a family wants to see is a “Closed” sign on a trail, bathroom, or parking lot.
Today, the National Park Service’s maintenance backlog across all 433 units is $24 billion. For all public lands managed by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, the backlog is estimated to be $40 billion.
The good news is Congress already has a proven tool to tackle the problem. The Legacy Restoration Fund, created under the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, directs up to $1.9 billion annually to address deferred maintenance at national parks, forests, wetlands, and other federal lands. It’s the largest federal conservation program in our nation’s history.
Between 2021 and 2025, the program allocated $8.3 billion to support 1,651 projects across national parks and public lands. In the West, examples include $388 million for Yellowstone to protect natural assets such as Old Faithful and improve boardwalks, trails, and bridges, and $43 million for Rocky Mountain National Park to upgrade a visitor center, large campground, and other sites.
These projects do more than fix aging infrastructure. They keep visitors safe. Replacing unstable bridges and fixing eroded trails lowers the risk of injuries. Modernizing bathrooms means they don’t leak sewage and spread germs. And upgrades to electrical systems provide lighting and connectivity.
Tackling maintenance backlogs doesn’t happen without a reliable funding source. The Legacy Restoration Fund works because it’s built on a balanced principle of using revenues from responsible energy production on working public lands to fund conservation at the most iconic places. The program mostly draws revenue from oil and natural gas developed on non-park, non-wilderness public lands designated for multiple use. Energy development and conservation aren’t competing priorities here. They support each other.
Congress initially authorized the program for five years, and lawmakers didn’t pass a bill to renew it before the September 2025 deadline. Fortunately, momentum is building to move a reauthorization bill. In the House, the Great American Outdoors Act 250 was recently introduced by the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR). The bill already has more than 150 bipartisan co-sponsors. The Senate is moving its own bill, the America the Beautiful Act, introduced by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). His bill has more than 60 bipartisan co-sponsors. Committees in both chambers recently passed these two bills unanimously.
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Backing is also widespread across stakeholder groups that traditionally aren’t aligned, from energy producers to environmental groups, outdoor industry leaders, and conservation groups. This is a rare moment in Washington, and it shows that protecting public lands and supporting responsible energy development can work together.
As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, getting a bill onto the desk of President Donald Trump would mark a special occasion that ensures America’s legacy, embodied in our national parks and public lands, is preserved for the next generation. This is a rare opportunity to deliver on a proven, bipartisan program. Congress should reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund this summer.
Aaron Johnson is the vice president of public and legislative affairs at Western Energy Alliance, a Denver-based oil and natural gas trade association.