GOLDEN, Colo. (Aug. 4, 2020) – Today, the Great American Outdoors Act became law in a historic victory for the Continental Divide Trail and all of our public lands and waters. After strong bipartisan majorities passed the bill through the House and Senate, President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law at a White House ceremony this morning. The Great American Outdoors Act will guarantee full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and fund long-deferred maintenance of our national forests, trails, and other federal public lands – and gives the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) its best chance yet to be completed in the coming years.
“This is an exciting, historic day,” said Teresa Martinez, Executive Director of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. “Americans have urged Congress to fulfill its long-deferred promise of funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund for decades. Guaranteeing permanent, full funding of LWCF through the Great American Outdoors Act means more places to play, more protection for parks and trails, and more investment in rural and urban communities alike. Add on the funding this law provides for much-needed maintenance on our federal lands, and I really can’t overstate how important this investment is for our public lands system as a whole.”
Westerners have long called for the need for full, dedicated funding for LWCF and for a solution to a growing backlog of maintenance in national parks and forests. In a 2019 survey of small business owners in towns along the Continental Divide Trail, 98% of them supported full, dedicated funding of LWCF. Despite this high level of support, President Trump had historically opposed funding for LWCF. He removed a major hurdle for the Great American Outdoors Act in March when he made a seemingly abrupt about-face and announced that he was in favor of the bill. In a rare showing of bipartisan action, Congress sent the bill to the President’s desk less than six months later.
“Volunteers, small business owners, recreationists, and public lands lovers across the country have been working toward this victory for decades,” said Martinez. “We are grateful to our legislative champions in the House and Senate who crafted and passed this bill, and moreover, grateful to every single CDT supporter who called, wrote, and posted to tell their legislators how important the Continental Divide Trail and all of our public lands truly are!”
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About the Continental Divide Trail
The CDT is one of the world’s premiere long-distance trails, stretching 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada along the Continental Divide. Designated by Congress in 1978, the CDT is the highest, most challenging and most remote of the 11 National Scenic Trails. It provides recreational opportunities ranging from hiking to horseback riding to hunting for thousands of visitors each year. While 95% of the CDT is located on public land, approximately 150 miles are still in need of protection.
About the Continental Divide Trail Coalition
The CDTC was founded in 2012 by volunteers and recreationists hoping to provide a unified voice for the Trail. Working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Forest Service and other federal land management agencies, the CDTC is a non-profit partner supporting stewardship of the CDT. The mission of the CDTC is to complete, promote and protect the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, a world-class national resource. For more information, please visit continentaldividetrail.org.
