The America the Beautiful Act would reauthorize the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), originally created by the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020. The LRF directs up to $1.9 billion annually toward fixing the deferred maintenance backlog on public lands and waters nationwide.

That means trails, trailheads, bridges, visitor facilities, and all of the other infrastructure that makes biking possible on America’s public lands.

A companion bill, the Great American Outdoors Act 250 (GAOA 250), is advancing in the House with more than 155 bipartisan co-sponsors, introduced by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA). Both bills passed their respective committees with unanimous, bipartisan support. In the Senate, the America the Beautiful Act has 62 co-sponsors and is led by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Angus King (I-ME), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Mark Warner (D-VA).

Federal public lands are home to some of the best riding in America, but many of those great places to ride are deteriorating. Without sustained investment, trails close, maintenance backlogs grow, and the riding experiences that drive participation and tourism can erode.

In great news, the LRF has already proven it works. Since the original Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law six years ago, the fund has delivered transformative results by repairing trails, campgrounds, trailheads, and visitor facilities across public lands nationwide. GAOA 250 builds on that record and adds a new recreation pilot program designed to improve places to ride, other outdoor recreation facilities, and sportsmen's access while generating revenue for federal land management agencies and preventing future backlogs.

Trails don't maintain themselves, and this bill will fund both the people and projects that keep our public lands open and rideable.

There is also a significant economic case for signing these monumental bills into law. Outdoor recreation generates $1.3 trillion in economic output annually and supports 5.2 million American jobs. Recreation on federal lands and waters alone generates $351 million in economic activity every single day.

Every dollar Congress invests in public lands infrastructure returns $5 to the U.S. economy. A Pew Charitable Trusts analysis estimated that addressing the national parks maintenance backlog alone would create or support nearly 110,000 infrastructure-related jobs, most of them in rural gateway communities where local bike shops, outfitters, and tourism businesses depend on healthy public lands to survive.

For PeopleForBikes members and supporters across the country, including bicycle brands, suppliers, bike shops, local advocates, and everyday riders, this investment is critical. More accessible trails mean more places to ride, more sales, more tourism, and stronger communities.

This summer, Americans are visiting our parks, forests, and public lands in record numbers. The infrastructure supporting those visits continues to age without appropriate investment. As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, the moment to act is now, and the bipartisan momentum behind this legislation is real.

"Great trails don't maintain themselves, and the Legacy Restoration Fund has proven it can deliver big wins for riders, gateway communities, and local economies built around outdoor access," said PeopleForBikes President and CEO Jenn Dice. "Reauthorizing the LRF is a smart, bipartisan investment in keeping public lands open and ready for every American who wants to get outside."

PeopleForBikes is proud to stand alongside brands, retailers, outfitters, and outdoor recreation organizations across the entire $1.3 trillion outdoor economy, including the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, the Motorcycle Industry Council, and the Outdoor Industry Association, in calling on Congress to act now and sign this important legislation into law.