Bill provides long overdue funding for pubic lands access and maintenance
Alexandria, Va. – June 9, 2020 – Late yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted 80-17 to proceed with consideration of the Great American Outdoors Act, a massive legislative package to fund access to and maintenance of the nation’s public lands. A final vote on the measure is expected within a week.
“Public lands are incredibly important for providing recreational fishing opportunities throughout the country,” said Mike Leonard, vice president of Government Affairs for the American Sportfishing Association (ASA). “This monumental bill is particularly timely. As the sportfishing industry, along with the country as a whole, continues to recover from the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress can help the long-term recovery of our industry by passing the Great American Outdoors Act.”
Championed by Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the Great American Outdoors Act would permanently fund the highly successful Land and Water Conservation Fund, which for the past five decades has helped provide access to recreational areas, trails and waterways throughout the nation. It also would establish a new program to improve the deteriorating infrastructure of our national parks and forests.
A companion bill was introduced last week in the U.S. House of Representatives by approximately a dozen House members led by Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.).
“While we’re on the doorstep of enacting this historic legislation, our work isn’t over,” said Leonard. “I encourage all anglers to go to Keep America Fishing to contact their senators and urge them to vote yes on the bill’s final passage.”
The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association committed to representing the interests of the sportfishing and boating industries as well as the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry and anglers a unified voice when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. ASA invests in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous, as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic, conservation and social values of sportfishing in America. ASA also gives America’s 49 million anglers a voice in policy decisions that affect their ability to sustainably fish on our nation’s waterways through Keep America Fishing, our national angler advocacy campaign. America’s anglers generate nearly $50 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for 800,000 people.
