Field Hearing: Oversight hearing titled “The Great American Outdoors Act: Modernizing and Maintaining National Parks to Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday”

Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs

2025-09-05

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Source: Congress.gov

Summary

This meeting of the House Natural Resources Committee was an official oversight field hearing held at Grand Teton National Park, focusing on the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) as its sunset approaches [ 00:28:00-00:28:17 ]

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. Members of Congress, park officials, local tourism leaders, and conservation advocates discussed the Act's impact, successes, and necessary reforms for its reauthorization . The discussion emphasized the importance of national parks for conservation, recreation, and local economies .

Themes

Importance and Success of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA)

The GAOA has been described as a transformative, bipartisan achievement, creating the largest investment in national parks and public lands in generations . It established a Legacy Restoration Fund, providing significant annual funding from 2021 to 2025 to address deferred maintenance needs across various federal agencies, with the National Park Service receiving 70% of these funds [ 00:19:03-00:19:04 ]

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. Speakers highlighted how GAOA funds have been critical in maintaining and modernizing infrastructure, such as replacing a failing wastewater lift station, improving visitor access points, and upgrading equestrian facilities at Grand Teton National Park . These investments not only protect visitor safety and preserve resources but also have a substantial economic impact, supporting jobs and generating billions in revenue for local gateway communities [ 00:19:15-00:19:29 ]

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Proposed Reforms and Future Modernization

While recognizing GAOA's successes, there was a strong call for reforms in its next iteration to focus beyond just deferred maintenance [ 00:19:07-00:32:50 ]

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. Recommendations included prioritizing projects that modernize parks, enhance public access, improve infrastructure, and create new outdoor recreation opportunities, rather than disproportionately funding urban commuter highways [ 00:19:07-00:20:47 ]

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. Suggestions for improvement included streamlining contracting and procurement processes, allowing more flexible matching mechanisms for public-private partnerships, and potentially implementing a modest surcharge for foreign visitors to reinvest in park maintenance and modernization . The need for long-term strategies for cyclical maintenance was also raised to prevent future backlogs [ 01:43:10-01:43:38 ]

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Workforce Challenges and Operational Efficiency

A significant concern raised was the substantial reduction in the National Park Service's permanent workforce, with a reported 24% loss since January, coupled with a hiring freeze . This staffing shortage impacts the ability to effectively plan, execute, and maintain GAOA projects, potentially jeopardizing the fund's efficacy and visitor experience . The complexity and cost of compliance processes, such as NEPA, were also cited as challenges, with up to 35% of funds in some years going towards planning and compliance rather than on-the-ground projects .

Public-Private Partnerships and Community Engagement

The meeting highlighted the critical role of public-private partnerships and local community engagement in supporting national parks . Organizations like the Grand Teton National Park Foundation have successfully leveraged private philanthropy to significantly augment federal investments, such as the Jenny Lake renewal and the acquisition of key land parcels . Local tourism boards and businesses also collaborate closely with federal land partners, managing visitor experiences, educating the public on conservation, and contributing to stewardship initiatives . This collaboration ensures a seamless visitor experience and underscores the interdependence of park health and local economic vitality .

Tone of the Meeting

The tone of the meeting was largely positive and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on the bipartisan support for the Great American Outdoors Act and the shared commitment to national parks . Speakers expressed deep appreciation for the natural beauty of Grand Teton and the importance of preserving public lands for future generations . While concerns were raised about staffing shortages and inefficiencies, the discussions were constructive, focusing on how to improve and strengthen the GAOA and park management moving forward . There was a palpable sense of passion and dedication from all participants towards the mission of protecting and enhancing America's national treasures [ 01:48:36 ]

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Participants

Transcript

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National Park for an official oversight field hearing
Thank you, Superintendent Jenkins.  My name is Bruce Westerman, and I serve as the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, and I represent the 4th District of Arkansas.  I'm grateful to be joined by the representative for the entire state of Wyoming, who probably needs no introduction, Ms.  Harriet Hageman, and I want to thank her for inviting us to her district.   We're also joined by several of our bipartisan colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee.  And actually, a couple of them are stuck in traffic and will join us as we get going more.  And one of those is Amada Radawagam from American Samoa.   We also have a member who is going to be here, Jeff Crank from Colorado, whose flight got canceled last night.  We have Teresa Ledger Fernandez from New Mexico.  Emily, I'm not sure she's, she got canceled too.  And Susie Lee from Nevada, who's also on her way.   We're also joined by one of our colleagues that's not on the committee, Representative Troy Downing from Montana.  And I'd like to ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to participate in today's hearing from the dais.   Without objection, so ordered.  Before we begin, I'll remind everybody about the rules of decorum for an official congressional proceeding, which that is what we're having today.  As if there not be any kind of disruption or disruption regarding the testimony given here today, it is important that we respect the rules of the committee and of the House and to allow the members and the public to hear our proceedings.   Now we will begin our hearing with an opening prayer.  We will be led by Ms.  Joanne Goldfarb, a leader in the Jackson Hole Jewish community.  And then after the prayer, we will have a pledge.
Okay.  We will rise for the pledge.
to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
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Unknown
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now will recognize the ranking member-designee, Representative Ledger-Fernandez, for any opening statements you would like to make.
Also, every single one of those cars that's stuck in line, the people who are hiking, the voters, the people engaged in the picnic, everybody, because it is our joint effort that makes our national parks what they are.  And it is how we are come to symbolize what America is.  America is a place where we all come together and where we all belong.   And the place that reminds us best of how we belong are places like this, our national parks, our national treasures.  One of the witnesses today in his testimony talked about awe, A-W-E, the awe that we feel in natural places.  We can feel awe when we look up at the Tetons.   feel awe and I want to give thanks to I didn't I wasn't here I came the year after this law was passed but I love the fact that it is also a bipartisan law imagine that it was passed   with your leadership, with the leadership of the late Chairman Raul Grijalva, who I recognize as one of our ancestors now, one of the people who came before us, signed into law by President Trump.
This is bipartisanship at work.  It has made a difference now in that we have seen projects funded by both aspects of this law, and both aspects are very important across every 50 states.  We have heard and driven on how it's made a difference here in the Grand Tetons.  I know in my own state of New Mexico, it is made of difference as well.  We value our national parks there.   And we know that it is also an interesting combination of both the reliance and the interconnection of energy development, which funds it, and then our beautiful outdoors and conservation, which benefits it.   That there are ways in which we are interconnected and we need to value that and recognize that both aspects need to be supported and recognized and honored.  Last year in 2024, under the Biden administration, we had the largest output and development of, we produced more energy than ever before.   And I am grateful for that, not just because I happen to represent the Permian Basin, the San Juan Basin, where a lot of energy development happens, but also because then it could fund the good work that we need in Teton, that we need at Grand Canyon, that we need at Chaco Canyon, that we need in parks across our country.   I also want to recognize the fact that it is the Park Service and all your employees who get this work done.  And that is important that we maintain the personnel because it does take boots on the ground.   to make sure that we protect our parks.  And I hope that we restore and we're able to have the full complement of employees at our parks so they can get this work done.
So once again, thank you to all of our members who come.  Thank you to everybody here who makes this kind of beauty accessible for all Americans and all visitors.

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