• Great American Outdoors Act provides billions in national park maintenance
• Funding predominantly comes from oil and natural gas developed on non-park public lands
• Law set to expire in September unless Congress takes action

April 21, 2025

DENVER – During National Park Week (April 19th-27th), Western Energy Alliance is proud to help protect our nation’s iconic landscapes and celebrates the immense contributions to federal conservation programs generated by oil and natural gas companies in the West. Since 2021, $4.2 billion has been directed towards the National Park Service (NPS) for 131 conservation, infrastructure, and maintenance projects. The vast majority of the funding comes from oil and natural gas production on non-park public lands.

NPS’s current backlog of infrastructure projects is $23 billion. Under the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), $2.8 billion annually is allocated to maintenance on public lands, with a majority going to national parks. GAOA is funded by revenues generated from energy produced on federal lands and waters. The Alliance estimates from federal data that 95 percent of the funds available for GAOA come from oil and natural gas development.

“There’s often a false choice posed between conservation of public lands and unleashing American energy. With GAOA, there’s a confluence between the two because responsible energy development on non-park lands is producing billions of dollars each year to support national parks,” said Aaron Johnson, vice president of public and legislative affairs at the Alliance. “National parks have been burdened by decades of underfunding and need attention. More recent trends have caused severe overcrowding and exacerbated the problems. The Great American Outdoors Act provides a balanced solution, and we’re proud that oil and natural development is a key contributor to supporting national parks.”

Parks across the West have been among the largest recipients of funding under GAOA. Projects include repairs to trails, campgrounds, and historic structures, along with infrastructure such as road, water, and electrical systems. Examples of proposed projects in 2025 include:

• Colorado - $10.7 million, Rocky Mountain National Park’s Kawuneeche Visitor Center
• Montana - $33.4 million, Glacier National Park utility systems
• New Mexico - $8 million, Carlsbad Caverns National Park’s water distribution system
• North Dakota - $4.5 million, Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s Route 10
• Utah - $34.7 million, Canyonlands National Park’s utility and communications systems
• Wyoming - $8.1 million, Grand Teton National Park’s 4 Lazy F Ranch

GAOA is set to expire at the end of the federal fiscal year this September unless Congress passes legislation to reauthorize and extend it. The law was passed with strong bipartisan support and signed by President Trump in 2020. The Alliance strongly urges Congress to reauthorize GAOA, the most important conservation bill in over 50 years.

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