Great American Outdoors Act National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (GAOA LRF) projects are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple U.S. territories to address priority maintenance needs at national parks, national wildlife refuges, on other public lands, and at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools. 

GAOA LRF projects fund the repair and maintenance of a wide range of Department of the Interior (Interior) assets including campsites, trails, roads, bridges, parking lots, BIE-funded school facilities, water and wastewater systems, energy systems, communications infrastructure, and more. Project selection for GAOA LRF is based on four key criteria: maximizing the number of citizens served, improving financial health, protecting those we serve, and planning for the future by repairing and modernizing Interior assets. These criteria help to ensure that GAOA LRF projects support Interior’s mission while having the greatest impact possible. Without this historic investment, assets in our national parks, national wildlife refuges, and other public lands could fall into disrepair and risk the safety of our visitors, employees, and volunteers, as well as our natural and cultural resources. This investment also helps prevent assets at BIE-funded schools from falling into disrepair and interrupting student learning and housing. 
The benefits of GAOA LRF projects are wide-ranging, from positively impacting visitors’ experiences, local communities, wildlife, and the environment to increasing the quality of education available to students at BIE-funded schools. For more information about project benefits, visit our GAOA LRF Program Impact webpage. 

Check out the Project Spotlights below to explore some GAOA LRF projects! 

Project Spotlights

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Western - Education Demolition Project

Bureau of Indian Education

The GAOA LRF supports the demolition and replacement of Bureau of Indian Education-funded school campuses to modernize facilities for the thousands of students and staff in Tribal communities. Excess buildings at these schools can pose safety hazards, be energy inefficient, and diminish the learning environment for students. This project is demolishing 16,799 square feet of excess education buildings at two schools in Arizona’s western region: Hotevilla Bacavi Community School and Santa Rose Ranch School. Removing these buildings will improve the safety and learning environment for students, teachers, and staff. 

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Gooseberry Recreation Site Repairs and Maintenance at Wind River Bighorn Basin District

Bureau of Land Management

The GAOA LRF invests in safe conditions for Interior employees and the public by removing hazards and restoring assets to safe operating condition. The Gooseberry Badlands Scenic Overlook Trail in Wyoming offers hiking, wildlife viewing, photography, and geology opportunities for visitors while providing panoramic views of colorful desert and endless blue sky. The site’s nature trail and boardwalk had eroded over time, creating public safety concerns for visitors. This project stabilized the existing nature trail and boardwalk, replaced the trail’s washed-out culverts, and improved the parking lot, sheltered picnic areas, and permanent binoculars at the scenic overlook. Through these repairs, GAOA LRF has helped mitigate trip and fall hazards on the boardwalk, improved the overlook trail’s safety and accessibility, and reduced the site’s annual maintenance costs. 

Learn more about the improvements and view additional pictures here:

Gooseberry Badlands project complete: Improvements funded by Great American Outdoors Act

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Rehabilitate and Repair Structures and Landscapes at Minute Man National Historical Park

National Park Service

The GAOA LRF preserves historic and cultural treasures that tell our nation’s story. Nestled amongst the small towns on the outskirts of Boston, Minute Man National Historical Park in Massachusetts preserves and provides access to the sites, structures, and landscapes that became the field of battle during the first armed conflict of the American Revolution in April 1775. The age of the structures and sites themselves require significant maintenance to preserve them over time. This GAOA LRF-funded project focuses on rehabilitating building exteriors, interiors, and systems at fifteen historic structures at the park. Renovations include improving eight witness structures, ten cultural landscapes, a section of the Battle Road Trail, thirteen monuments, and replacing more than 300 interpretive signs. Work will restore the primary historic structures and landscapes to good condition in time to celebrate the 250th anniversary of “the shot heard round the world.”  

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Maintenance Action Team at Patuxent Research Refuge

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

GAOA LRF-funded Maintenance Action Teams (MATs) are nimble and provide hands-on training in routine maintenance and repair work. A GAOA-LRF funded MAT recently completed work at Patuxent Research Refuge in Maryland. The Refuge was established in 1936 to support conservation research and habitat management, offering 13,000 acres of forest, meadow, and wetlands for wildlife to call home amid a densely populated urban area. The MAT rehabilitated the Refuge’s Redington Boardwalk, which had previously been inaccessible for several years, by installing new decking, handrails, and two new resting benches. Thanks to this MAT, the boardwalk has now been reopened to provide universal access to viewing areas. The Refuge celebrated a ribbon cutting for the boardwalk on the GAOA LRF Anniversary – August 4, 2024!

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Education Demolition Project in the Navajo Region

Bureau of Indian Education

The GAOA LRF invests in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools for current and future generations. This project is demolishing 173,556 feet of excess buildings, which are currently uninhabitable and unsafe, at six schools in the Navajo region, in Arizona and New Mexico: Pinon Community School, Nenahnezad Boarding School, Red Rock Day School, Greyhills Academy High School, Tonalea (Red Lake) Day School, and Atsá Biyáázh Community School. Removing these buildings will improve safety for students, teachers, and staff.

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Carbella Boat Ramp Repair at Carbella Recreation Site

Bureau of Land Management

GAOA LRF projects reduce annual operating costs, reduce future maintenance needs, and create more resilient infrastructure on public lands across the United States. The Carbella Boat Launch, located in Montana, offers visitors access to water-based recreational activities like floating, boating, and fishing on the Yellowstone River. The ramp is the primary takeout for white water rafting on the river and is based just north of Yellowstone National Park, making it one of the most heavily utilized day-use facilities on the river. The previous structure of the ramp was skewed upstream, resulting in significant sediment load on the ramp. GAOA LRF project work installed a new concrete ramp that is skewed downstream and is now more user-friendly for floaters and boaters to access the river. These repairs have helped improve the site’s visitor experience and reduce maintenance costs associated with the upkeep of the ramp.

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Maintenance Action Team at the Penn Center at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park 

National Park Service

GAOA LRF-funded Maintenance Action Teams (MATs) at the National Park Service provide on-the-ground training in a variety of trades, including historic restoration and preservation work, to a new generation of tradespeople and public land stewards. A GAOA LRF-funded MAT recently completed work at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in South Carolina, which marks a central location that played a crucial role in the development of the Reconstruction Era, a time when the country grappled with how to integrate millions of newly freed African Americans into society and build a more united nation. The park’s Penn Center, established in 1862, was one of the first schools for formerly enslaved people. The MAT rehabilitated Darrah Hall, one of the oldest buildings on the Penn Center campus and the current base of operations for the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District. The building received a fresh coat of paint and other exterior maintenance repairs to help maintain its historic structure. Thanks to this MAT work, Reconstruction Era National Historical Park can continue its mission of preserving important historical sites and educating visitors on life in South Carolina during the Reconstruction Era.

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Replace Primary Boardwalk and Trail Bridge at Red River National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The GAOA LRF funds crucial investments that repair aging infrastructure so visitors can continue to enjoy our public lands for generations to come. The Red River National Wildlife Refuge, located in northwestern Louisiana provides important habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, songbirds, and other native wildlife species, while also offering visitors a variety of wildlife-based recreation activities including fishing, birdwatching, hiking, and paddling. Over time, extreme weather events eroded the banks of Lake Caroline, exposing the outer footing of the Refuge’s main boardwalk and causing significant damage to one of the site’s pedestrian trails. This project replaced the deteriorating boardwalk and trail, improving visitor experience, safety, and recreation access at the site.