
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.”
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.
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.

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.
