While public land management was not a key theme of President Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign for the White House, the recent passage and signing of the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act cemented President Trump’s legacy as one of the most consequential presidents in the history of American public land policy.The new legislation does two major things. First, the Act establishes a National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund—financed by federal energy development revenues—to address the billions of dollars of deferred maintenance in America’s national parks, wildlife refuges, and elsewhere. And second, the Act permanently and fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (“LWCF”), a program that supports the “protection of . . . public lands and waters” while encouraging “voluntary conservation on private land.” This Note will discuss both of these policies, looking section-by-section through the newly enacted legislation.The legislative history for this specific bill is relatively short, but its two major policies were not original ideas. Indeed, as an example, permanent funding of the LWCF has long been an objective of many conservation advocates. And although a Republican senator introduced and championed the bill, and a Republican president signed it into law, the Great American Outdoors Act was far from the gold standard for conservatives. This Note will recount the multiple issues that Republican legislators and conservative outside groups had with the legislation ahead of its passage.Moreover, this Note argues that the Great American Outdoors Act was not just a conservation bill. Rather, one can also view the Act as a piece of economic legislation enacted amid the unemployment spikes at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. The context of the Act’s passage bears some resemblance to the circumstances predating the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps (“CCC”) during the Great Depression, and understanding the Great American Outdoors Act as somewhat analogous to the CCC helps illuminate its legislative history and better explain its enactment.Ultimately, the Great American Outdoors Act represents an impressive legislative accomplishment for Congress and President Trump in a time of divided government. And on the heels of the 2019 John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, the 116th Congress demonstrated an uncanny knack for getting public lands legislation across the finish line in a bipartisan way. Still, valid concerns remain about accountability of appropriated funds and the federal government’s ability to keep up with the maintenance of its land estate. Part of the Act’s long-term legacy may be its economic impact as the United States rebuilds its economy after the outbreak of COVID-19
