| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jeff Naft Jeff.Naft@mail.house.gov Date: July 22, 2020 |
| Hill Votes to Support Arkansas Conservation |
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WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, after the U.S. House of Representatives passing the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), Rep. French Hill (AR-02) released the following statement: “I am pleased to see this bipartisan bill move one step closer to ensuring the preservation of America’s lands for future generations. “In Arkansas, there are three National Forests that cover more than 2.9 million acres of land and seven National Park Service sites, as well as America’s first National River. As an avid hiker and conservationist, I enjoy spending my free time outdoors with my family, so this bill hits especially close to home. "A key priority as a member of the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus is to promote programs that improve access to our state and federal public lands, especially our National Parks. I’m proud to have this opportunity to make America, and the Natural State, a better place for our friends, families, and neighbors to adventure, and to call home.” Background on the Great American Outdoors Act: This legislation would provide half of all receipts from energy development on federal lands and waters, up to $1.9 billion per year, for five years to make needed repairs to critical facilities and infrastructure in our national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, public lands and at our American Indian schools. Most of those funds, 70 percent, would go to rebuilding our national parks. The legislation provides $6.5 billion over five years to the United States National Park Services to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to invest in conservation and recreation opportunities across the country. The GAOA also allocates an additional $3 billion to improve and maintain public lands. |
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### To learn more about Congressman French Hill, please visit: Hill.House.Gov |
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