Western Energy Alliance unveiled a new report detailing billions of dollars in national park and public land conservation funding at risk because of Biden administration policies. The report, “Conserving the Great American Outdoors” highlights that 94 percent of the $2.8 billion in annual conservation funding under the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) is provided by the oil and natural gas industry. Yet anti-oil-and-gas policies by the Department of the Interior (DOI) combined with growing agency mismanagement threaten this revenue stream along with the sustainability of overcrowded public lands.
“There’s a disconnect in the conservation agenda of this administration. The president wants to preserve our nation’s treasured public places yet fails to acknowledge that almost all the conservation funding is provided by the very energy sources he seeks to shut down,” said Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Alliance. “Promises of ‘no more drilling’ would mean funding for national parks conservation and infrastructure would disappear in the coming years if those policies are fully enacted. Oil and natural gas provide 94% of all GAOA funding, or $2.63 billion in 2021. If that burden fell on just renewables, only $11.5 million would have been available.”
The report highlights key conservation and infrastructure projects that have been funded in the two years since GAOA was signed into law, including
- Blue Ridge Parkway: $219 million for bridge replacement; repairs to roadways, overlooks and parking; and erosion control
- Yellowstone National Park: $204 million for repairs to historic buildings, roads leading up to the iconic Old Faithful geyser, and other infrastructure
- Yosemite National Park: $145 million for repairs to campgrounds, water systems, parking, and erosion control.
Since Biden took office the costs of maintaining public lands have skyrocketed. Earlier this year the National Park Service (NPS) reported its maintenance backlog grew to $21.8 billion, versus $13 billion at the start of the administration. The root of the problem lies in growing inefficiencies at the agency. A congressional oversight hearing in February revealed numerous problems within DOI and NPS, including the growing costs to administer programs, conduct environmental reviews, and complete projects.
“Public lands are facing a double whammy. In addition to threatening the revenue stream for conservation dollars, the Biden Administration has managed to escalate costs to maintain national parks many times faster than inflation,” added Sgamma.
The full report with additional background on the Great American Outdoors Act can be downloaded here.
Background
Signed into law in 2020, GAOA combined two public lands conservation programs. The new National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund provides up to $1.9 billion annually for national park and public lands restoration from onshore energy revenues. The vast majority of revenue comes from federal onshore oil and natural gas royalties. The act also permanently funds the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund to the tune of $900 million annually, which is exclusively generated from offshore oil and natural gas.
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