Skip to main content
0:50

Bruce Westerman

8:11 - 9:02

"By improving visitor access and encouraging tourism, this legislation will support more than 72,000 jobs and over $26.4 billion in economic activity. Activity for gateway and tribal communities near national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and public lands."

“By improving visitor access and encouraging tourism, this legislation will support more than 72,000 jobs and over $26.4 billion in economic activity. Activity for gateway and tribal communities near national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and public lands.”
Speaker
Bruce Westerman
Timestamp
8:11 – 9:02
Community
Alaska News
Captured at
June 24, 2026

From the transcript

The bill establishes new sustainable funding sources to support investments to reduce the public lands and Bureau of Indian Education and Maintenance backlog, such as the codification of foreign visitors fees and new pathways for philanthropic support so these national assets may receive investment without relying totally on taxpayer funding or burdening American families. These investments also have significant economic benefits. By improving visitor access and encouraging tourism, this legislation will support more than 72,000 jobs and over $26.4 billion in economic activity. Activity for gateway and tribal communities near national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and public lands. Before I yield back, I want to thank and recognize Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum for championing the reauthorization of this important program.

Related Coverage

Foreign-visitor park fee survives a House vote, with stakes for Alaska

A U.S. House committee kept a $100 surcharge on foreign visitors to popular national parks, a fee with real stakes for Alaska's tourism-dependent gateway communities.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
National
Cover image for article: Foreign-visitor park fee survives a House vote, with stakes for Alaska

A renewed federal fund to fix public lands could land hardest in Alaska

A U.S. House committee advanced the Great American Outdoors Act 250, renewing a public-lands repair fund — with outsized stakes for Alaska's federal parks and forests.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: A renewed federal fund to fix public lands could land hardest in Alaska