White House requests $2.8 billion for parks, conservation projects

The Biden administration is proposing $2.8 billion for the departments of Interior and Agriculture to fund national park programs and conservation projects across the country, the agencies announced Thursday. The proposed funding for fiscal 2022 represents the maximum allowed under the bipartisan Great American Outdoor Act, which former President Trump signed in August. The law included $900 million a year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as well as up to $1.9 billion annually for national park maintenance for five years.The administration has announced it will take on more than 500 maintenance projects under the Public Land Legacy Restoration fund, including 63 under the Interior Department and 484 under the National Forest Service. The departments estimated the projects would together support more than 20,000 jobs. The move follows Interior's announcement last month that $150 million would be made available in grants to local communities under the LWCF-funded Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant program, which provides funds to create outdoor recreation spaces in urban areas...MORE