Each year, participating Department of the Interior (DOI, Interior Department) bureaus select projects with the potential to meet the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) goals of the Department: 1) Maximize Citizens Served, 2) Improve Financial Health, 3) Protect Those We Serve, and 4) Plan for the Future by repairing and modernizing DOI assets. GAOA projects, including Maintenance Action Team (MAT) activities, are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple U.S. territories to address priority maintenance needs at national parks, wildlife refuges, public lands, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools.
Types of Projects
Recreational Assets
Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Credit: Ray Paterra
Recreational Assets include monuments, memorials, campgrounds, parks, historic sites, refuges, comfort stations, visitor centers, and other structures used for recreational purposes.
An example of a Recreational Asset is the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge Project located in Arkansas. This project will rehabilitate boat ramps, campgrounds, and internal refuge roadways to address deferred maintenance needs and improve the overall visitor experience.
Mission Support and Administration Assets
Great Basin National Park in Nevada. Photo Credit: NPS/B. Mills
Mission Support and Administration Assets include storage and warehouse facilities, offices, laboratories, agricultural assets, and other assets critical to supporting bureau missions.
An example of a Mission Support and Administration Asset is Great Basin National Park located in Nevada. This project will replace the deteriorating 1960’s-era water system, which is the park’s only source of potable water to park facilities and the only source of water for fire protection.
Housing Assets
Laurel Historic Dormitory, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming
Housing assets include housing and family housing structures.
An example of a Housing Asset is the Laurel Historic Dormitory in Yellowstone National Park located in Wyoming. This project will convert the historic dormitory into employee housing while addressing structural, mechanical, and health safety issues, and ensuring the facility is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible.
Transportation Assets
Campbell Tract Skiers. Photo Credit: Bob Wick
Transportation Assets include roads, bridges, dedicated parking structures, and other critical transportation infrastructure.
An example of a Transportation Asset is the Campbell Tract Recreation Access located in the Anchorage District of Alaska. This project will restore public access and safer vehicle-pedestrian interactions for over 100,000 annual visitors that enjoy the outdoor education and public recreation on the Campbell Tract.
Schools and Associated Assets
Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School in South Dakota. Photo Credit: BIE
Schools and Associated Assets include schools, dormitories, and staff housing.
An example of a School and Associated Asset is the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School, a K-12 school located in Eagle Butte, South Dakota serving 937 students. The project will use energy-efficient construction and water conservation guidelines to construct new academic facilities.
Non-Transportation Infrastructure Assets
Non-Transportation Infrastructure Assets include utility systems, irrigation and flood control assets, communication systems, and other industrial assets.
An example of a Non-Transportation Infrastructure Asset is the National Mall and Memorial Parks located in Washington, D.C. This proposed project will rehabilitate the most critical portions of the seawalls and shoreline landscape at the National Mall and Memorial Parks, salvaging the historic stone masonry where possible.
Other Assets
National Interagency Fire Center Plane. Photo Credit: Michael Johnson
Other Assets includes asset types not otherwise specified, including housing structures and airfields.
An example of an Other Asset is the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. This project will replace the most deteriorated portions of the airfield ramp tarmac in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
Project Spotlights
Acadia National Park Schoodic District
National Park Service
This project, located in the beautiful Schoodic District of Acadia National Park in Maine, will rehabilitate the potable water and wastewater systems. While over 250,000 visitors use these facilities each year, the 1970s-era water systems are in dire need of repairs. Improved systems will reduce the risk of environmental contamination, while ensuring that water is consistently available for fire protection and drinking. The project will also work to upgrade existing systems by replacing wastewater collection lines, reconstructing wells, and implementing systems to
reduce the potential for freezing.
The Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge project, located in Illinois, will work to repair significant infrastructure damage, including leaking waterlines and sewer lines and damaged concrete on three high-hazard dams. The project will also support modern facilities for visitors by replacing an aging visitor center, and rehabilitating campground facilities and related outdoor recreation infrastructure. Other projects within the portfolio include rehabilitating the Veterans Haven building and outdoor shower buildings, repairing campground roads, and reshaping campsites.
Many Farms High School project, located in the heart of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, aims to consolidate current education programs housed in multiple buildings throughout campus into a single, energy-efficient facility. The Bureau of Indian Education project will help to improve safety, reduce annual operating costs, improve Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility, and create a safe and positive environment that is conducive to learning.
The Loon Lake Recreation Site project, located in Western Oregon, will provide safe drinking water and restore sanitation for the visitors enjoying the site’s beautiful swimming, fishing, and boating amenities. This project will repair the significant damage from a 2019 snowstorm by restoring the interior deterioration of the 40,000-gallon storage tank, replacing the broken water treatment plant, and replacing site bathrooms.
As the largest infrastructure investment funded by the Great American Outdoors Act to date, the George Washington Memorial Parkway project will repair and preserve this critical infrastructure for approximately 26 million annual drivers. The National Park Service is partnering with the Federal Highway Administration to complete this important project. Repairs will take place on the busiest part of the parkway, which has never undergone a major rehabilitation.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will create strategic, geographically-placed Maintenance Action Team (MAT) Strike Forces consisting of skilled professionals to plan and execute other GAOA projects, including demolition and water management. Using MATs results in an average savings of 30-70 percent in contracting costs and benefits the local economy by providing employment opportunities and workforce development. The MAT program is a flexible way to address the highest-value opportunities at a point in time. Success with this approach requires evaluating project needs, unique site conditions, and costs once funding becomes available.
Shonto Preparatory School
Bureau of Indian Education
Shonto Preparatory School is a Navajo Nation school in Arizona which serves nearly 350 students in grades K – 8. This project will replace the school campus buildings which currently consist of seven main buildings and several smaller support structures. The new academic facilities will maintain the highest possible level of water and energy conservation designed using Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver guidelines. The project, one of two GAOA projects at the Shonto School, will also address major site infrastructure, such as replacing the 60-year-old water distribution and sewer systems.
The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area shoreline, located in Palm Beach County, Florida, is collapsing and retreating due to accelerated erosion. Trees and other vegetation fall into the water creating safety hazards, especially for boating and those using the shoreline beaches. This project will stabilize the shoreline to resolve safety concerns and protect the foundation of the Jupiter Lighthouse and adjacent buildings. The project will also prevent additional shoreline erosion with in-water protection structures and embankment repairs. This project, one of several GAOA projects at Jupiter Inlet, will help ensure safe recreational access, resource protection, and habitat rehabilitation.
