SAH Letter of Support for The Great American Outdoors Act

Independence Hall. Image courtesy of NPS.

 

The SAH Heritage Conservation Committee has written a letter supporting the Great American Outdoors Act, a bill that will provide much-needed support to address deferred maintenance issues facing the National Park Service (NPS). Read the letter below. 

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8 June 2020

The Honorable Cory Gardner
354 Russell
Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510

The Honorable Joe Manchin 
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Steve Daines
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Mark R. Warner
703 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510


Re: SAH Support for The Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422)

Dear Senators Gardner, Manchin, Daines, and Warner:

The Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) offers its support to S. 3422, The Great American Outdoors Act, which will provide much-needed support to address deferred maintenance issues facing the National Park Service (NPS).

The Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422) endeavors to address the maintenance backlog faced by the NPS and other land management agencies The bill establishes a fund for FY2021–2025 that will receive up to 50 percent of all federal revenues from the development of oil, gas, coal, or alternative energy on federal lands and waters, not to exceed $1.9 billion in any fiscal year. These revenues will be used for priority deferred maintenance projects on federal properties administered by the NPS, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian Education. In addition, the bill makes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which supports the protection and preservation of outdoor spaces and public lands across the United States, permanent.

The United States is fortunate to possess a system of national parks that is a significant embodiment of our shared natural and cultural heritage, and its preservation benefits all Americans. The Society of Architectural Historians strongly supports the passage of S. 3422, The Great American Outdoors Act.

Sincerely,

Bryan Clark Green, Ph.D., LEED AP BD+C
Chair, Society of Architectural Historians Heritage Conservation Committee

cc: Mr. Kenneth Breisch, Ph.D.; Mr. Jeffrey Cody, Ph.D.; Mr. Anthony Cohn, AIA; Ms. Phyllis Ellin; Mr. David Fixler, FAIA; Mr. Sandy Isenstadt, Ph.D.; Mr. Theodore H. Prudon, Ph.D., FAIA, Ms. Pauline Saliga; Ms. Deborah Slaton; Members SAH Heritage Conservation Committee.