July 22, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov 

 

Trone Hails Passage of Great American Outdoors Act and Announces New Federal Funding for State and National Parks in Maryland’s Sixth District

 

Washington – Today, Rep. David Trone (MD-06) announced that four National Parks and 16 State Parks in Maryland’s Sixth District would receive federal funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, which passed the House of Representatives today. This bipartisan legislation passed the Senate last month and will now go to the President’s desk for signature.

The Act will provide permanent, full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which benefits 16 State Parks across the Sixth District. It also establishes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, which will provide federal land management agencies with critical resources to address the $22 billion deferred maintenance backlog on our public lands. There are currently four National Parks in Maryland’s Sixth District that would benefit from this funding, including Monocacy National Battlefield, Antietam National Battlefield, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, and the Historic Preservation Training Center.

“Ensuring our public parks are in good condition for generations to come is vitally important to our communities and natural heritage,” said Congressman Trone. “This legislation provides the long-term funding necessary to create good-paying jobs, protect our natural landscapes, and ensure that all people in our community benefit from the great outdoors in Maryland.”

Below are the National and State Parks in Maryland’s Sixth District that will benefit from this legislation:

National Parks, including money needed to complete deferred maintenance:  

• Monocacy National Battlefield (MONO) $4,180,036
• Antietam National Battlefield (ANTI) $12,254,869
• Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (CHOH) $76,350,501
• Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC) $625,472

State Parks:

• A.M. Powell Hatchery 
• Dan’s Mountain State Park 
• Deep Creek Lake State Park 
• Fort Frederick State Park 
• Greenbrier State Park 
• Heaters Island WMA 
• Herrington Manor State Park 
• Indian Springs WMA 
• McKee-Beshers WMA 
• Monocacy Natural Resources Management Area 
• New Germany State Park 
• Seneca Creek State Park 
• Swallow Falls State Park 
• Warrior Mountain WMA 
• Western MD Rail Trail 
• Wolf Den/North Hills State Park 

The Great American Outdoors Act ensures that the $900 million permanently authorized by Congress last year funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund at the levels that were promised. The LWCF is America’s most successful conservation program and these resources will make sure that it continues to:

• Support enhanced park and recreational access for local communities throughout the country;
• Addresses environmental injustice by creating green spaces near low-income communities and communities of color across the country by preserving our natural heritage in an equitable manner;
• Strengthens the recreation economy, which is one of the fastest growing economic sectors and a key driver of jobs across the country; and
• Implements recommendations from the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis’ Solving the Climate Crisis action plan to support the goal of protecting at least 30 percent of all U.S. lands and ocean areas by 2030 while helping fragile ecosystems, wildlife populations and communities become more resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis.

Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Education and Labor, Foreign Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees, where he is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.

###