Cheers for Stronger, Healthier Parks!
Cheers for Stronger, Healthier Parks!
WASHINGTON, D.C. July 22, 2020 – The Trust for the National Mall is thrilled to stand with the many partners across the country in celebrating the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, passed yesterday by the House of Representatives (following the Senate passage in late June).
This bi-partisan legislation will provide the largest investment in the nation’s parks and public lands since 1956, and will help address critical repair needs within the National Park Service (NPS) and other public land agencies.
Our partner, Marcia Argust, Project Director of the Restore Our Parks campaign at Pew Charitable Trusts, said it so eloquently:
“The investment from the Great American Outdoors Act will benefit not only today’s visitors to our parks and public lands but also future generations. Whether we’re documenting American history at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta, exploring a natural wonder like the Grand Canyon in Arizona, hiking among the towering trees at Sequoia and Kings Canyon in California, or celebrating our right to free speech on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., this legislation will make a lasting difference.“
Once the bill is signed by the President, non-taxpayer funds will be invested in critical repairs and infrastructure improvements. These are the kinds of improvements and repairs that may not be immediately evident to the millions of visitors who enjoy these spaces, but they are essential to our shared mission to ensure that these lands continue to be robust, accessible and meet the needs of the public year after year.
We celebrate this incredible commitment by Congress and the President to improving and preserving the conditions of the National Mall and national parks, which are the pride and joy of millions of Americans. Over $800 million dollars in repairs and upgrades are needed on the National Mall alone – one of the highest repair bills in the country—and we at the Trust are dedicated to ensuring that this continues to be a thriving, growing space for the more than 36 million visits each year from around the globe.
As a private non-profit and a leading partner of the National Park Service, the Trust is uniquely positioned to bring additional private funds into our collective efforts to fully restore, enrich and preserve the National Mall. We will continue to strengthen our public-private partnership to ensure that the Mall leads by example as a model of inclusiveness and a premier example of sustainable urban park development. With this unique mix of public and private investment, the Mall will continue to reflect our country’s highest values and be a world-class public space for people of all backgrounds.
Catherine Townsend, President & CEO
John “Chip” Akridge, III, Founder and Chair