Our parks and public lands are well-loved by millions, and frankly, they’re stressed. The National Park Service alone currently faces more than $23 billion in deferred maintenance and repair needs. Without continued investment, damaged roads, outdated utilities, and visitor facilities needing updates will only worsen. Compounding the challenge, the original fix has expired. The Great American Outdoors Act created the Legacy Restoration Fund, providing up to $1.9 billion annually from 2021 to 2025. But that funding stream ended in September 2025, before much of the essential maintenance could be completed.

The America the Beautiful Act picks up where the Great American Outdoors Act left off, and does more. The legislation would reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund for eight more years (through 2033) and raise the annual cap to $2.0 billion. It broadens protections and accelerates progress: new provisions expand eligibility to lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, require a two-year rolling project list for more efficient planning, and allow deferred maintenance work to begin under a Continuing Resolution if full appropriations are delayed. It invites public participation. The bill also strengthens mechanisms for public donations and encourages greater public-private collaboration to support maintenance and restoration.

Push for Support into 2026

As we near the anniversary of the unanimous passage of the bipartisan EXPLORE Act in Senate (on December 19, 2024), let’s urge lawmakers to pass the America the Beautiful Act (S. 1547) to ensure the Legacy Restoration Fund can continue in 2026 and continue the momentum for bipartisan support of public lands and outdoor recreation. Continued investment is crucial to addressing the massive maintenance backlog on national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. There are places where trail infrastructure, trailheads, bridges, and access amenities directly impact riding experiences and community recreation.

We’re calling for full funding up to the $2.0 billion annual cap, making sure agencies can actually keep pace with the growing backlog rather than falling further behind. It’s also important for lawmakers to understand and support the equitable allocation of funding across all public land agencies, not just the National Park Service. National Forests, Bureau of Land Management lands, and under-resourced federal sites that host mountain biking should receive a fair share of maintenance support.

Our voices matter, and we proved it time and again in 2025. Transparency and community involvement need to remain key expectations of our lawmakers, so we’re asking lawmakers to require agencies to publish two-year prioritized project lists and provide meaningful opportunities for the public to help shape restoration and access priorities. Finally, we encourage leaders to strengthen public-private partnerships recognizing that combined federal and community investment is essential for safe, sustainable, and resilient trail systems nationwide.

Advocacy Asks:

• Urge Congress to pass the America the Beautiful Act, without delay, and to restart the Legacy Restoration Fund program.
• Push for full funding up to the $2.0 billion cap annually, ensuring that the growing backlog doesn’t fall even further behind.
• Advocate for equitable funding allocation across all public-land agencies, including wildlife refuges, national forests, and federal lands in under-resourced areas.
• Support transparency and public engagement: demand that agencies publish prioritized project lists and allow communities to help shape restoration goals.

What You Can Do Right Now

Contact your lawmakers and tell them to support the America the Beautiful Act. Then, share information about the backlog and the bill with friends, family, and your community: emphasize that this isn’t just about parks: it’s about safe, accessible public lands for all Americans.