Carper Statement on Enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement on the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act, now law, which permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and provides funding to address deferred maintenance on federal lands, including national wildlife refuges.

“Over the years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has provided Delaware with federal funding to restore, revitalize and maintain parks and other projects across our state, like trails and playgrounds, and expand our national wildlife refuges. From Brandywine Creek to Cape Henlopen, our state’s parks and refuges are sanctuaries for wildlife and people alike. We share these spaces with nature and with each other. They are paths that expand horizons, the trails that connect our communities, the preserved lands and pristine waters that allow nature to flourish, and the places we can visit for peaceful solitude or playful outdoor recreation. The Great American Outdoors Act, now law, permanently and fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I will keep working to ensure that Delaware benefits from this federal funding so that these spaces across our state continue to support our environment, our economy and our communities.”

Last month, Senator Carper toured both Father Tucker Park in Wilmington and Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge in Milton to highlight the Great American Outdoors Act and the benefits of the LWCF, which has provided funding for several parks and projects across the state, including Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Henlopen, Brandywine Creek and Fox Point State Parks, Killens Pond and many more across Delmarva.

In June, Senator Carper spoke about the Great American Outdoors Act in a speech on the Senate floor.

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