Oregon Outdoors, a coalition of leaders in the outdoor recreation industry, non-profit recreation groups and conservation organizations who advocate for the maintenance and expansion of Oregon’s outdoor assets, applauded the enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act.
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Chief meteorologist matt hoffman, and sports with cameron derby."
"on tuesday, president trump signed the great american outdoors act.
All members of oregon's congressional delegation supported that bill.
The bill helps prioritize the repairs for national parks.
It also includes funding for the land and water conservation fund.
That fund helps parks and recreation at the state and local levels.
Joining me now to talk more about this is priscilla may with oregon outdoors.
Thank you so much for being with us tonight.
Yeah.
Thank you for having me.
I'm really happy to be here.
And, uh, at a moment of celebration for maybe one of the most impactful natural resources, recreation legislation passed to date.
Um, so thank you.
So how will this act benefit?
People who live in southern oregon?
Yeah.
I'm really glad that you asked that.
So the short story is that it benefits residents in southern oregon.
In two ways, the legislation creates a new account that reduces.
The approximately 20 billion deferred main backlog on our nations public lands and also makes the land and water conservation fund also known as lwcf a mandatory spending program.
So two examples of how this program helps southern oregon is crater lake national park has over $142 million and maintenance backlog and oregon caves has over $21 million in backlog on maintenance.
So as you can imagine, that can go a long way in helping support our national parks.
Not only from developing new recreation resources, but maintaining existing ones that have had increased pressures from visitors.
Um, yeah.
So that's the, that's the short story.
I'd be happy to dive into more details.
What benefits might users of our river.
See?
Yeah.
So what's users of our river.
What benefits might dive into more details.
Story.
I'd be happy to the, that's the short um, yeah.
So that's from visitors.
Increased pressures ones that have had maintaining existing resources, but new recreation only from developing national parks.
Not helping support our can go a long way in you can imagine, that maintenance.
So as in backlog on has over $21 million and oregon caves maintenance backlog $142 million and national park has over oregon is crater lake helps southern how this program so two examples of program.
A mandatory spending also known as lwcf a mandatory spending program.
So two examples of how this program helps southern oregon is crater lake national park has over $142 million and maintenance backlog and oregon caves has over $21 million in backlog on maintenance.
So as you can imagine, that can go a long way in helping support our national parks.
Not only from developing new recreation resources, but maintaining existing ones that have had increased pressures from visitors.
Um, yeah.
So that's the, that's the short story.
I'd be happy to dive into more details.
What benefits might users of our river.
See?
Yeah.
So what's really wonderful about the lean and water conservation fund is.
How the funds are allocated in our state is it goes through the score, which is the statewide comprehensive recreation plan, a, which is managed by our state parks and recreation department.
And so what they do is they do a comprehensive survey across the state of what people want and what people want to see the future state of our outdoor recreation resource being.
And that informs where these land and water conservation dollars go.
Uh, not, not too surprising, but most oregonians.
Um, and those in the southern part of our state mentioned that waterway access was very important to them.
That's no surprise for those of us who have lived in southern oregon, how important our water is, especially in the summer we have to get there.
Um, and it's also no surprise that more people are enjoying our waterways and there are associated impacts with that.
And we want to plan for the future.
So this fund creates a way for us to, uh, fund not only recreation access to those rivers, but improved access insights that have also had additional impacts from increased visitation.
Um, and it also creates an opportunity to acquire new access in places where there's high demand.
How might this impact local recreation businesses?
Yeah, absolutely.
So.
I know firsthand, how important are outdoor recreation, uh, local businesses and economies.
Amy is from working at hellgate jet boats.
When i first got maybe when i was still in high school and working for about a decade for orange torpedo trips over in merlin.
And i know that if we did not have a robust recreation economy, i would have not had an income or a way into this industry at a young age.
So, um, by funding, the maintenance backlog, we are providing world class infrastructure and experiences to our visitors, as well as our residents that will keep them spending in our state and continue to add to the economic driver that is our growing outdoor recreation economy.
So it not only addresses what we've had to deal with in terms of impacts in the past, but it creates a bright future for us to invest in our world crest.
Infrastructure and, uh, and offer the amazing oregon outdoor experience to everyone.
Why is oregon outdoors in support of the act?
So oregon outdoors coalition is a pretty broad coalition with nonprofits, for profits, including companies like rei and keen, as well as nonprofits like american whitewater, and that are very advocacy oriented.
We see this as an incredibly bi-partisan.
When in short and, and a testament that recreation and conservation can be a winning issue.
And that it's something that everyone in our state really cares about.
And these are the issues that we really look to support is what do oregonian support.
What's going to be the greatest impact on our local economies.
And this seems like an easy one to support priscilla may thank you so much for joining me.
I really appreciate it.
You bet.
Thank