Ask Your Senator to Support the Legacy Restoration Fund

Congress is moving forward with bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund, one of the most important recent tools for fixing aging infrastructure on America’s public lands. Created by the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, the fund has helped land managers address deferred maintenance across national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, and Bureau of Land Management lands—including work on trails, roads, bridges, campgrounds, visitor facilities, water systems, and other public-access infrastructure. The Great American Outdoors Act authorized the Legacy Restoration Fund at up to $1.9 billion annually for five years, FY 2021–FY 2025; that authorization expired on September 30, 2025, so Congress must reauthorize the fund for this dedicated public-lands maintenance investment to continue.

Recent action in both chambers shows real momentum. In the Senate, the bipartisan America the Beautiful Act would extend the fund through 2033, and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is expected to consider the bill this week. In the House, leaders from both parties introduced the Great American Outdoors Act 250, which would reauthorize and modify the fund, add new transparency and reporting requirements, support projects that improve recreation and visitor experiences, and require agencies to plan for more preventative maintenance. For trail runners and other public land users, the takeaway is simple: reauthorizing the Legacy Restoration Fund is critical to keeping trails, trailheads, campgrounds, roads, and other recreation infrastructure safe, accessible, and resilient—but Congress should ensure the program stays focused on genuine maintenance needs, public access, and conservation-compatible recreation.

Take a moment to reach out to your representative and senators to urge them to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund.