Friends of Charleston National Parks Joins National Effort Urging Congress to Reauthorize Legacy Restoration Fund
Apr 24
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Friends of Charleston National Parks Joins the National Park Foundation,National Park Friends Alliance, and 118 Park Partner GroupsCalling on Congress to Reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund Critical Policy Supporting Vital Park Infrastructure, Fueling $8 Billion toward NationalEconomy, and Preserving American Cultural Legacy Set to Expire in September
Friends of Charleston National Parks has joined the National Park Foundation, National Park Friends Alliance, and 118 national park partners in a letter calling on Congress to reauthorize the Great American Outdoor Act’s Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), a critical U.S. government fund dedicated to the stewardship and maintenance of America’s greatest treasures – its national parks.
The letter, addressed to leadership of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, highlights the impact of the LRF on America’s 430+ national parks and communities across the country, as well as America’s natural and cultural legacy:
“Since its enactment, the LRF has delivered measurable results and improvements to critical park infrastructure, including road repairs, trail and campground upgrades, restoration of historic structures, rehabilitation of utility systems, and modernization of visitor facilities. These projects not only preserve America’s natural and historical legacy, but also enhance access, improve safety, and elevate the overall visitor experience. In communities across the country, particularly in gateway communities that depend on healthy, active parks, the LRF has had tremendous economic impact, supporting more than 72,000 jobs, injecting $5 billion in the labor market nationwide, and contributing $8 billion to the nation’s GDP.”
The LRF was authorized for five years and is set to expire in September 2025.
The letter signatories make up a community committed to supporting, protecting, and enhancing America’s 433 national parks. Together, they provided over $650 million in private philanthropy in 2023, serving as a force multiplier to federal investment in national parks.
