From the rugged peaks of Glacier National Park to the quiet fishing spots along the Yellowstone River, our outdoor heritage is the heartbeat of our economy and the soul of our communities. However, for decades, the infrastructure supporting these treasures—roads, water systems, and trails—was allowed to crumble under the weight of a multi-billion-dollar federal maintenance backlog.
In 2020, we took a historic step to fix this. With the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), Congress made a generational commitment to restoring our National Parks and other federal infrastructure on public lands. This landmark legislation, championed by Senator Steve Daines, established the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) to finally address those long-overdue repairs, providing $1.6 billion annually.
The impact of the GAOA in Montana has been nothing short of transformational. Over the full five years of the initial program, the LRF is investing nearly $117.6 million into approximately 75 assets across 22 projects in our state. The results of this investment are already evident—here are a few examples.
In Glacier National Park, LFR has funded over $26 million to rehabilitate the final 9.3 miles of the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road and replacing the bridge over McDonald Creek. These repairs ensure that the nearly three million visitors who spend $368 million in Glacier gateway towns can continue to access the park safely. Another $27 million has been spent in Glacier to replace wastewater and water distribution systems—both long overdue projects.
LFR has provided over $30 million to address deferred maintenance projects on Bureau of Land Management properties, including dam rehabilitation, repairs to fishing access sites, and restoration of roads and trails. LFR spending has made these lands more accessible to the public.
Despite this progress, the job is not finished. Montana still faces a deferred maintenance backlog of over $560 million across our four primary federal land bureaus. And that backlog continues to grow—especially after damage caused by extreme weather events like the flooding experienced around Glacier National Park last November. That damage included washed out bridges, eroded roads and trails, and other infrastructure disruptions that will make it harder for the public to access parts of the park.
With the original LRF funding set to expire, we risk losing the momentum that has finally started to modernize our public lands infrastructure.
Recognizing this urgency, Senator Daines has once again stepped up to lead. Alongside a bipartisan group including Senators Angus King, Kevin Cramer, and Mark Warner, Daines has introduced the America the Beautiful Act (S. 1547). This legislation would extend the LRF for eight years, through 2033 and increase the funding to $2 billion annually.
Critically, LFR is not funding by the American taxpayer. All of the revenue comes from energy development revenues from the sale of federally owned oil, gas, coal and other resources.
Renewing the GAOA is not a partisan issue; it is a common-sense investment in our “crown jewels”. It is about ensuring that the next generation of Montanans can marvel at the same views and cast their lines in the same pristine waters that we enjoy today.
And just as importantly, investing in the maintenance backlog in our National Parks and other federal lands will empower rural economies by supporting thousands of jobs in the outdoor recreation sector.
Senator Daines’ leadership has brought us to this threshold. Now, it is time for Congress to pass the America the Beautiful Act and ensure that Montana’s—and America’s—National Parks remain vibrant and accessible for decades to come.
Steve Gunderson is a former Republican Montana legislator from Libby.