The United States Senate has passed the Great American Outdoors Act, a bill that includes the Restore Our Parks Act. The legislation was co-sponsored by Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, and helped address deferred maintenance needs at National Park Service facilities.

“National parks are a tremendous resource for North Dakota, helping to preserve our beautiful landscapes, as well as our history and heritage, while also supporting nearly $60 million in economic activity in our state each year,” said Hoeven. “We advanced the Restore Our Parks Act to bolster investment in our national parks’ facilities and infrastructure, like the repairs that are underway on the Scenic Loop Drive in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We welcome Senate passage of our bill, and we hope it will move quickly through the House and be signed into law.”

If approved by the House, the bill would create a National Park and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund using excess revenue from on and offshore energy production on federal lands. This would provide up to $1.9 billion per year for facilities and projects under the NPS, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Education.