The House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 1225, the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act. The legislation garnered more than 290 bipartisan cosponsors and passed by a vote of 36-2.

H.R. 1225 will address the needs of the National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education. By utilizing federal energy development revenue, the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act will address backlogged projects in an effort to restore trails, roads, historic buildings, water systems, and more.

The bill suggests 80% of the funds be allocated for deferred maintenance projects, including infrastructure deficiencies; 10% to assist the national wildlife refuge; 5% to address public access and recreation on public lands; and 5% to address the Bureau of Indian Education school construction.

Honorary member, executive vice president and CEO of ASLA Nancy Somerville stated, "The national parks are part of our nation's identity. They are natural treasures that bring people together and encourage healthy lifestyles. Landscape Architects helped build our national park system and are deeply committed to preserving park infrastructure with an eye toward resilience and sustainability. The American Society of Landscape Architects thanks Rep. Bishop (Utah) for leading the way on H.R. 1225, the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act, and fully supports passage to send critical funding to restore our national parks."

To read the full press release from the minority staff of the House Committee on Natural Resources, click HERE

To read H.R. 1225 in its entirety, click HERE