[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2840-S2841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, now on to an entirely different 
matter. Thanks to the bipartisan leadership of colleagues like Senators 
Daines, Gardner, Portman, Alexander, Manchin, and Warner, we are 
attending to legislation that will shape the future of the great 
American outdoors for the better.
  It is fitting that the legislation before us comes with support of 
such a broad bipartisan coalition because our national parks, forests, 
and other public lands are treasured in every State of our Union by the 
hunters and anglers who look forward to the morning stillness of the 
Black Hills and the Big South Fork of the Cumberland, by the hikers who 
camp and plot weekend escapes in Shenandoah and Joshua Tree, by the 
school groups and researchers who connect with history at Gettysburg 
and Mesa Verde.
  Every year, hundreds of millions of our people--our fellow Americans 
and visitors from around the world--share the gift of our Nation's 
public lands. Even more Americans in surrounding communities benefit 
from the jobs and the prosperity that are supported by tourism and 
recreation.
  This country's public lands comprise a tremendously diverse array of 
landscapes, wildlife, historic sites, and natural resources. They are 
spread out across 419 parks, 568 refuges, and hundreds of millions of 
acres of managed space.
  They didn't pop up overnight. It has taken more than a century of 
dedicated work to designate, acquire, and maintain the public lands 
Americans enjoy today. It is the Land and Water Conservation Fund, 
which this legislation will give permanent support, that makes them 
accessible for generations to come.
  Today, more than 5 million Americans rely directly on outdoor 
recreation for their livelihood. They contribute to $778 billion in 
economic activity. In recent years, their industry's growth has 
outpaced an economy that was red-hot in its own right. A bright future 
for our public lands is a bright future for our Nation, and a 
predictable, consistent support provided by the LWCF will play a 
critical role in these efforts.
  Take my home State of Kentucky, for example. For years, I have been 
proud to advocate for LWCF funding to conserve some of the Bluegrass's 
precious wilderness and historic sites. Back in 1996, Kentucky was the 
only State without a national wildlife refuge, and it was my 
legislation that helped secure the creation of one at Clarks River.
  Last year, additional legislation I authored helped create another 
sanctuary for wildlife and recreation at the confluence of the Green 
and Ohio Rivers. Already, the Fish and Wildlife Service has marked the 
Green River Wildlife Refuge as the LWCF's top funding priority for the 
coming year. The dedicated resources in this legislation would be 
instrumental in the growth of Kentucky's newest national treasure, 
along with other areas like Clarks River.
  As the LWCF drives the preservation of more national wetlands, 
forests, and battlefield space in Kentucky, I suspect every one of my 
colleagues is equally proud of similar efforts in their own States. 
This bill advances a noble cause that has added benefit of being a 
sound investment.
  According to one recent analysis, every dollar spent through the Land 
and Water Conservation Fund turns out $4 in economic benefit. Every $1 
million directed toward the LWCF in

[[Page S2841]]

turn supports as many as 30 American jobs.
  So I am extremely proud to be a cosponsor of the Great American 
Outdoors Act, I am proud of the work our colleagues have put in to get 
it this far, and I look forward to seeing it passed.

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