Proposed 2026 Budget Would Redirect Conservation Funding to Maintenance Backlog

Released information on the FY26 budget shows plans to change the overwhelmingly bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act and divert nearly half of the funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This budget — if passed — will have consequences for America’s lands and your access to recreation.

To fully understand the implications of this budget, it’s important to understand the history and significance of both the Great American Outdoors Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The History of the Great American Outdoors Act

The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), signed into law by President Trump in August 2020, stands as a bipartisan landmark in American conservation history. This legislation addressed two critical needs for the nation’s public lands: a significant backlog in maintenance and infrastructure, and the permanent, full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

Prior to the GAOA, the Land and Water Conservation Fund was the nation’s premier program for safeguarding natural areas while also providing recreational opportunities. Funded by royalties from offshore oil and gas drilling — not taxpayer dollars — the LWCF was designed to invest in conservation and recreation across all 50 states.

The upkeep of public lands benefit farmers and ranchers via grazing permits, water resources, federal fire management, and more.

However, for over 50 years, despite being authorized to receive up to $900 million annually, LWCF funds were frequently diverted by Congress to other purposes. This intermittent and unreliable funding often left vital land acquisition and recreation projects incomplete or unfunded.

What Did the GAOA Accomplish?

Recognizing this challenge, along with a multi-billion dollar deferred maintenance backlog across national parks and other public lands, the Great American Outdoors Act was championed with overwhelming bipartisan support. Its passage in 2020 achieved two key objectives: LWCF funding and the establishment of a National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to finance deferred maintenance projects.

The GAOA mandated permanent annual funding of $900 million for the LWCF, ensuring a consistent and dedicated stream of revenue for land and water conservation and recreation access. This provision aimed to end the decades-long practice of diverting LWCF funds.

The GAOA also established the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), providing up to $1.9 billion annually for five years (FY2021-FY2025) to address the maintenance backlog at national parks, wildlife refuges, forests, and other federal land management agencies.

This fund was specifically designed to repair aging infrastructure, improve visitor facilities, and enhance accessibility on public lands. Its establishment also allowed the LWCF to utilize their funds as needed for their goals instead of diverting money into projects part of the maintenance backlog. 

The GAOA helped National Parks by funding the LRF for maintenance backlog and permanently funding the LWCF for land acquisition and expansion.

The passing of this act was widely celebrated across the aisle as a generational investment in America’s lands and outdoor economy.

Backtracking on the Great American Outdoors Act

Despite the bipartisan consensus that led to its enactment, the Trump administration’s recently released budget request for FY26 proposes significant changes that would alter the core foundation of the GAOA. The budget suggests amending the GAOA to divert approximately $387 million — nearly half — of the annual $900 million allocated to the LWCF.

The proposed changes would shift these funds from their intended purpose of federal land acquisition and state-side conservation grants towards funding deferred maintenance needs. The move is presented as a means to address ongoing maintenance challenges, particularly as the initial five-year funding for the LRF under the GAOA is set to expire this year.

Support and Criticism for the Proposed Budget

Critics argue that this proposal effectively guts the LWCF by taking the established separate funding streams for land acquisition and deferred maintenance and redirecting it instead towards the goals of the LRF. This would likely halt the acquisition of critical lands for public access and preservation.

Land acquisition benefits long trails and reduces road walking by buying private land “gaps” allowing the trail to be built on dedicated public land instead of roads.

Some emphasize that the LWCF has a distinct purpose — land acquisition and conservation — and that deferred maintenance should be addressed through other, dedicated mechanisms, potentially through reauthorization or new appropriations for infrastructure repair.

Proponents of the proposed diversion may argue that it offers flexibility to address pressing maintenance needs on public lands, especially as the dedicated LRF funding will soon expire. From this perspective, reallocating a portion of LWCF funds to these critical repair projects could be seen as a pragmatic way to prioritize the immediate usability of existing, heavily utilized public trails and lands (though the budget also proposes deep cuts to land management agencies like the Forest Service and National Park Service). 

The ultimate decision on the FY226 budget and the proposed changes to LWCF funding will now rest with Congress, where the Great American Outdoors Act has historically enjoyed strong bipartisan support.