Field Hearing on Discussion Draft of Great American Outdoors Act 250

The hearing will come to order. Good morning and welcome to the Natural Resources Committee field hearing here in my hometown of beautiful Hot Springs National Park Arkansas I'm gonna take a moment of personal privilege just to explain a little bit about the Natural Resources Committee and the work that we're doing here today. This is a standing committee in the United States House of Representatives. My name's Bruce Westerman. I'm the uh congressman from this area, born and raised in Hot Springs, and I got the great honor of being the chairman of the committee uh this year. Uh the Natural Resources Committee has a broad jurisdiction over uh all of our federal lands, which includes the the Park Service, and everything in the Department of Interior with the uh Bureau of Land Management, the US Fish and Wildlife. Also we have some jurisdiction over the Forest Service, uh hundreds of millions of acres of public land across our country that uh we all love. This committee has jurisdiction over. We also have jurisdiction over uh a lot of water, over two billion acres of off-shore water falls under the jurisdiction of our committee. We have jurisdiction over energy and mining, so oil and gas and minerals falls under the jurisdiction of our committee, uh water, wildlife and fisheries falls under our committee, so uh fishing regulations and uh wildlife protections, if you look at the uh some of the major legislation that falls under our committee, uh you get things like the uh National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Historic Preservation Act. Those things fall under our committee jurisdiction and we also have jurisdiction over what's called Indian and insular affairs. So all the the tribal issues in our country as well as the five territories of uh Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Marianas and American Samoa. Uh as I mentioned this committee travels a lot. Uh we a a few years ago did a bipartisan uh exercise called the Compact of free association with Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands, and we held a field hearing in Guam when we did that. We've also, we've held field hearings in Yosemite. We've held uh field hearings in the national parks in Utah. And just last September we held a field hearing in um uh in Wyoming and on the Great American Outdoors Act at Grand Tetons National Park. And today we're in Hot Springs. as we work on the Great American Outdoors Act two fifty, which is H R ninety two fifty. That my friend Jared Huffman, uh the ranking member on the committee from California and I are uh co-sponsors of that bill and that's the reason we're here today is to have a hearing on on the bill. I do wanna thank the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, uh this beautiful Arlington Hotel and Resort for making their lobby available for us. and uh providing such a wonderful setting for today's discussion. Uh I'm grateful again to be joined by Ranking Member Huffman from California. He's again my Democrat co-lead on the bill. We're also joined by several bipartisan colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee including Representative Cliff Bence from Oregon uh Representative Harriet Hagerman from Wyoming Representative Jeff Crank of Colorado, Representative Teresa Ledger-Fernandez from New Mexico, uh Val, Representative Val Hoyle from Oregon and Representative Maxine Dexter of Oregon. Oregon is well represented. Oregon has a lot of federal lands as well. Uh I do want to, before we begin, remind everybody about the rules of decorum for official congressional proceedings. I ask that there not be any kind of disruption regarding the testimony given here today. It is important that we respect the rules of the committee and of the house and to allow the members and the public to hear our proceedings. Now we will begin hearing um uh we we will begin today's hearing like every day of Congress begins with the prayer and the pledge and I want to uh invite my pastor uh Doctor Chuck um Devane from Lake Hamilton Baptist Church to come to the stage and also Miss Bobby Wilson who is a retired school teacher. Chuck will lead the prayer. Then we have the Hot Springs High School Color Guard who will present the colors. And Bobby will lead us in the pledge. So if we can all stand.

Thank you, Chairman. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, we begin today by bowing before you to acknowledge you as our creator, our sustainer, our father, and our friend. We thank you for your amazing grace and for the abundance of beauty and natural resources and parks that you have surrounded us with in this community. in this great country. We pray that today we'll prove to be good stewards of them. Lead in God our Chairman, Congressman Westerman, and all of his colleagues today to act in a true bipartisan spirit, to collegiality, to act in ways and means that are honorable to you and in the best interest of all concern. We pray for those who testify and speak, their words will be honest and heartfelt and helpful. And we pray as the deliberations unfold and decisions are made that they will reflect a simple faith in you. a sincere love and respect for one another and a steadfast hope for future generations. And I offer this prayer to people of all faiths, and even to those of no faith, in faith in my great God and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Amen.

Here we go. And we bow. Oh, word. Work though, work. Build a guard, hold. Left face. Present, build a guard. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. Go, Liz.

Thank you. Let's Give a big round of applause to the Hot Springs Hospital Junior OTC. Before we begin our official business, I uh need to announce uh that a few housekeeping items under committee rule four F, any oral opening statements at hearings are limited to the chairman and the ranking minority member. I therefore ask unanimous consent that all members' opening statements be made part of the hearing record. if they are submitted in accordance with committee rule three O. Without objection, so ordered. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. And again, welcome. Uh, we're so glad you're here today. Welcome to all of my colleagues who traveled across the country. Thank you to all the witnesses who made time in their schedule to be here to talk about such um important piece of legislation. Like many Arkansans, Some of my favorite memories were made outdoors on Arkansas's three million acres plus of public land, whether that was floating down the Buffalo, camping, hunting and fishing in the Ouachita and Ozark National Forest, maybe duck hunting at first light in our wildlife refuges, or hiking and mountain biking here and in around Hot Springs and across our beautiful natural state. These experiences taught me firsthand why our public lands matter. and why it's so important that we steward them well for future generations. Under the leadership of Governor Sarah Sanders and First Gentleman Brian Sanders, more and more people are discovering the natural state as a premier world-class destination for outdoor recreation activities, like mountain biking, rock climbing, hunting, fishing and more. Arkan- Arkansans know that long before Yellowstone was designated as the first national park, Congress protected thermal waters here in Hot Springs in eighteen thirty-two, creating America's first federal reservation of a natural resource, making Hot Springs the birthplace of what a lot of people call America's best idea. Today, Hot Springs serves as a powerful example of what can happen when federal investment, local leadership and private partnerships come together. Thanks in part to the original Great American Outdoors Act, we're seeing historic assets restored, visitor experiences improved, and new economic opportunities created throughout this community. The rehabilitation of the Maurice Bathhouse will vitalize an important piece of Arkansas history while creating new opportunities for public use and private investment. It's this model that makes our national park the perfect backdrop for what we are here to discuss today. Legislation that would maintain and modernize our national parks and our public lands, called the Great American Outdoors Act two fifty. I was proud to support the original Great American Outdoors Act five years ago when it was signed into law by President Trump. It represented the largest investment in public lands infrastructure in generations and provided long overdue resources to address deteriorating trails, campgrounds, visitor facilities, and historic structures across the country. The results have been significant across the Department of Interior, The program has funded hundreds of projects, improved thousands of assets, supported jobs and addressed billions of dollars in deferred maintenance. Here in Arkansas alone, more than fifty-two million dollars has been invested in projects at Hot Springs National Park, the Buffalo National River, the Del Bumpers Wa- River National Wildlife Refuge, and the Washington National Forest. Those investments have improved visitor access, strengthened recreation opportunities, and supported some of our state's most treasured public lands. But six years later, it is clear there is still more work to do. Deferred maintenance across federal lands now exceeds forty billion dollars. Record visitation continues to place new demands on aging infrastructure. While inflation and rising construction costs make needed repairs even more expensive, we have also learned important lessons about how these funds are allocated, how projects are selected, how agencies measure deferred maintenance, and how we can better leverage partnerships to stretch taxpayer dollars even further. That's why we came together as Republicans and Democrats to set aside partisan differences and craft the Great American Outdoors Act, two fifty. This bipartisan legislation builds on the successes of the original law, while addressing lessons learned through implementation and ensuring funding is focused on improving the visitor experience. The legislation includes significant reforms that create new public access, strength in public-private partnerships. prioritize improvements to outdoor recreation infrastructure, improve transparency and accountability, modernize project selection, support sportsmen and women, and streamline project delivery. This legislation also creates a new outdoor recreation and sportsmen's access pilot program, giving flexibility to agencies to invest in high priority projects across the nation that may not meet the textbook definition of deferred maintenance. For Arkansas, This means restoring overnight camping in the Ouachita National Forest, restoring public access and outdoor recreation after the Forest Service has decommissioned roughly one-fourth of the forest campsites since twenty-ten. This pilot program will also help us restore wildlife habitat in our national wildlife refuges. This builds on the successful Red Cockaded Woodpecker restoration project in the Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, which not only restored the Red Cockaded Woodpecker but created new public improved outdoor recreation, and restored habitat for a host of other species. One of the best parts of this legislation is that it builds on the model of hot springs, by recognizing the federal government can accomplish this alone. We need partnerships with non-profit organizations, private partners and gateway communities. These partnerships not only stretch federal dollars further, they make projects move more quickly and efficiently. But that's not the only benefit of this bill. The last iteration of the Great American Outdoors Act created more than seventy-two thousand five hundred new jobs contributed fifteen point nine billion dollars in economic output and supported the one point three trillion outdoor recreation economy in Arkansas our outdoor recreation economy has an economic impact of nearly five billion dollars in sports, more than forty-three thousand eight hundred jobs. Gateway communities like Hot Springs will benefit from these investments through increased tourism, new construction jobs and spending both inside and outside the park. On the eve of our nation's two hundred and fiftyth anniversary celebrations, we have an opportunity to leave America's public lands better than we found them. Because the American people deserve national parks and public lands that not only meet but exceed their expectations when they visit with their families and create lifelong memories. Through the Great American Outdoors Act two fifty, we have an opportunity to uplift places like Hot Springs National Park, restore campgrounds, trails and recreation infrastructure across our forest and public lands, and ensure that future generations can enjoy the same experiences that so many of us were fortunate to grow up with. That is what stewardship looks like, and that is what this legislation is designed to accomplish. Again, I want to thank all the members and witnesses for traveling to Hot Springs today. It is an honor to welcome you to my hometown, and I look forward to discussing how we continue to together to steward America's public lands for the next two hundred and fifty years. And with that, I'll now recognize the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, Representative Jared Huffman of California, for his opening statement.

Thank you, Chair Westerman, and good morning, everyone. I wanna start by expressing my sincere gratitude to Chairman Westerman for hosting us today in this beautiful place, his home state of Arkansas. Uh, this is actually the second time I've had uh the opportunity to travel here and spend some time with Bruce. Last time we went mountain biking, we toured a forest, uh we saw some of these historic uh bath houses. It was a great visit and uh I got a chance to experience a lot of what the natural state has to offer. Uh this really is a marvelous place. And uh we are gonna return the favor by bringing uh Chair Westerman to the North Coast of California, my district. where I look forward to showing him some of the beautiful places that I have the honor of representing. But, uh, I wanna also extend my deepest thanks to this community of Hot Springs, the staff here at the park, and the people of Arkansas for their incredible hospitality and welcoming us so warmly. Hot Springs, uh, is a good place to have this conversation, uh, with its rich, long history of conservation, uh, the place to talk about the future of the Great American Outdoors Act and also the Legacy Restoration Fund. When the Great American Outdoors Act first passed six years ago, uh, it really was a historic bipartisan win. It proved that we can still come together to protect the places that define our nation. Um, at that time Congress made a promise to fix our parks and to tackle decades of deferred maintenance throughout the park system. And we also locked in permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund which is one of the most successful conservation programs this country has ever had. The LWCF has uh a strong connection to the conservation story right here in Hot Springs, contributing over fourteen point seven million dollars to protect critical inholdings inside park boundaries. That promise is still uh something that both parties believe in, but we have a lot of work to do to make sure we continue to keep it. Our parks and public lands are more popular than ever as Chair Westerman noted, visitation keeps climbing. And it's clear that Americans know these places are worth protecting. So fixing them is a debt that I think we should see as something that we owe, not just to ourselves, uh, but to the generations who come after us. That's what the Legacy Restoration Fund is all about. It has delivered real results in every corner of the country and helped us start chipping away at this maintenance backlog that has weighed on our land agencies for decades. As we look toward the future and the upcoming uh America two fifty celebration, Great American Outdoors Act two fifty gives us a chance to build on five years of progress. But how we spend this money matters, and we need to be very deliberate. So I look forward to the conversation today to begin um the the direction that we need to make good on this promise. It is tempting of course to chase high profile ribbon cutting projects. Uh those do matter. But the work that keeps our parks running often goes unseen. Essential infrastructure like wastewater treatment facilities, upgraded utility systems, and structural repairs may not always be visible to the average visitor. But these things are absolutely vital. These investments keep people safe. They keep the gates open. They keep our parks ready for the crowds that show up every year. And the Great American Outdoors Act two fifty will make sure that those things are prioritized. Our national parks We're built on a simple idea. These are places that belong to all of us. They are meant to be common ground where we come together to celebrate our shared heritage where we reckon with our complicated history and we all stand, on equal footing. It only works if our parks stay open and welcoming to everyone. And it only works if the people who run them are still on the job, telling the full and honest story of our country, and certainly not a narrow, sugar-coated slice of it. Before I wrap up my remarks, Chair Westerman, I just wanna take a moment to talk about the importance of staff. Since the beginning of last year, the National Park Service has lost roughly a quarter of its permanent workforce. It's hard to overstate what that means on the ground. The rangers, the geologists, the historians, the archaeologists, officers, engineers, these are all people who hold our parks together. Programs like the Legacy Restoration Fund only work if the right people are there to get the job done. So why I, while I welcome the new flexibility in streamline, a streamlining that we've built into this bill, uh, the commitment to these people is also very, very important. And legislation is no substitute for a fully staffed agency. You can't fix a park without people who care for it. We owe it to Hot Springs and to every treasured place across this great country to keep investing in the future. As we mark our country's two hundred and fiftieth birthday, we have a chance, a bipartisan chance, to make sure that our public lands stay what they always were meant to be, places that bring us together as one nation. And I look forward to a constructive bipartisan conversation here today. Thank you, Chair Westerman, and I yield back.

Thank you, Ranking Member Huffman. We will now move on to our panel of witnesses, and I'll remind the witnesses that under committee rules, uh, you'll have five minutes for an oral opening statement, but your entire statement will appear in the hearing record. To begin your testimony, press the on button on the microphone, we use uh timing lights, when you begin the light will turn green, at the end of five minutes the light will turn red, and uh that'll be time to to wrap up your statement. Uh again thank you to the witnesses, I will now recognize our first witness, the Honorable Chris French, Associate Chief of the US Forest Service, Associate Chief French. You're recognized for five minutes.

Good morning. Thank you so much, Chairman Westerman, Ranking Member Huffman and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee today and travel to the historic hot springs to celebrate the success of the Great American Outdoors Act and the ideas and the continued work for addressing the mountain def- the mounting deferred maintenance across America's extraordinary public lands. My name is Chris French. I serve as the Associate Chief of the USDA Forest Service. And across the Forest Service, nearly a hundred and s- sixty million visi- visitors recreate our national forests each year. They visit our lands to hike, camp, ski, hunt and fish, boat and ride bikes and off-highway vehicles. These recreationists, as well as loggers, ranchers, firefighters, emergency responders, energy companies, outfitters, and guides, and others, rely on the nearly three hundred and sixty-eight thousand miles of roads, the thirty thousand recreation sites and the bridges and trails and more that compromise the National Forest System infrastructure portfolio. As we s- as stewards of these lands, it's our job to ensure that visitors to the national forest, whatever their objective, stay safe and are able to undertake what they came to do to connect with these lands. Achieving this goal has been an ongoing challenge. Forest service infrastructure is deteriorating faster than the funding can maintain it. But while this challenge persists, the Great American Outdoors Act for the last five years has significantly expanded the forest service's ability to address our maintenance backlog. Through the LRF fund, we have funded more than twelve hundred projects across forty-three states. This work is improving critical infrastructure that supports public access, forest management, wildfire response, and direct tangible ways. We're very proud of these outcomes and of the way that we've worked with partners and the broader public to implement the work. From the start, input from our external stakeholders has shaped our implementation, strategy, and ensuring that our execution reflects the desires of the American public. To date, we've collaborated with local partners on more than three hundred and forty projects nationwide, leveraging more than a hundred million of funding beyond the Great American Outdoors Act. To ensure transparency, we've also developed a public phasing dashboard that charts each of these projects uh across the nation and the outcomes of our work. Just here in Arkansas, on the Ouachita National Forest, they received nearly two million dollars in funding to re- rehabilitate a campground loop in the Shady Lake Recreation Area. A civilian concert conservation core site that was developed in the nineteen thirties with infrastructure for camping hiking swimming and picnicking. With LRF funding, we've redesigned the campground layout, replaced roadways and campsites, improved drainage, add utility connections, and repaired a CCC era bathhouse. Construction's complete and the site is once again a local economic driver and valued resource for residents and visitors including scout troops. who visit Shady Lake to earn their merit badges and build leadership and outdoor skills. While the positive impacts of LRF on the agency cannot be overstated, the challenge of deferred maintenance is ongoing. At the Forest Service, an estimated eleven point three billion in deferred maintenance is still outstanding across the entire system. Um, the reauthorization of the Great American Outdoors Act is a lifeline for continuing to address the backlog of deferred maintenance we have It would allocate up to two hundred and eighty-five million dollars a year to the forest, and it would expand the scope of funded activities. This bill would also cap spending uh cap spending on transportation network projects at forty-five percent, which is an increase. Forest service roads and bridges represent more than a seven billion of our deferred maintenance. And this increase would allow additional flexibility to address needed repairs on our highest priority assets and access to the American people. We know that under the twenty-seven bu- President's budget, it does propose the reauthorization of the Great American Outdoors Legacy Restoration Fund and USDA looks forward to continued work with this committee and Congress on reauthorizing this important legislation. Thank you for the opportunity for being here today to testify. I look forward to taking any questions that you have. Thank you.

Thank you, Associate Chief French. I'll now recognize the Honorable Kate McGregor. Deputy Secretary of the US Department of the Interior. Uh, this is not her first time to Hot Springs either. Welcome back. Deputy Secretary McGregor, recognized for five minutes.

Good morning. Thank you, Chairman Westerman and Ranking Member Hoffman, for inviting the department to beautiful and historic Hot Springs yet again, for a field hearing on reauthorizing the most game-changing investment into our nation's public lands in a lifetime, the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law by President Trump in twenty twenty. As a former committee staffer, I know all about the effort it takes to bring hearings like this on the road, so I also would like to thank all of the staff who worked so hard to make this hearing today possible. Although we have a lot more people here today, I wonder why. This is my second tour serving as Deputy Secretary in the Trump Administration, and I've had the distinct honor of now working for three secretaries of the interior to help get this legislation legislation across the finish line. I think it's important to remind the general public what public this historic bill did. It created the Legacy Restoration Fund, which allocates funding generated by the Department of the Interior from oil, gas, coal and other mineral development, and it reinvests a portion of those dollars to address deferred maintenance in the American people's assets. Old visitor centers, seawalls, water treatment facilities, bathrooms. It does this without touching the revenue-sharing disbursements that go to energy-producing states like Wyoming and Louisiana. which we know are very important. It's interesting returning to the department over six years from when President Trump first signed this bill and Secretary Bernhardt put together the first secretary's order creating the organization to smartly move those dollars out the door six years later we have deferred maintenance bill that it's significantly grown and only fourteen percent of all the funds have been spent on actual closed or completed projects the average time frame for a project is over four years And even that figure may not truly reflect the time it takes to move these important dollars out the door and into your districts. This is why the Department of the Interior believes that any reauthorization must include meaningful reforms that help us smartly deploy capital faster for the benefit, enjoyment, and the accessibility of the American people. What you need to know is deferred maintenance maintenance has grown because this historic funding mechanism has completely changed the way the Park Service, BLM, Fish and Wildlife and BIA steward the people's assets. Rather than saying, " Hey, we're good. We can put in more window units and some ceiling fans to address a decades-old HVAC system that's held together with duct tape and prayers." And instead say, " Yes, this needs to be addressed properly. Put it on the list." Two, we need projects to flow faster, and we believe that we can do this by working with state and local governments who do this work every day in their unique landscapes. as well as organizations willing to put forward matching dollars. Three, we understand that while many groups may find this type of funding attractive, deferred maintenance must remain the absolute focus. And four, we are absolutely here to constructively work with both the House and the Senate to align on what will be the final version of this landmark reauthorization. Before President Trump's Great American Outdoors Act, the National Park Service could only afford one big project every one to three years. subject to appropriations. Our largest Great American Outdoor project to date is the full replacement of the El Portal water treatment plant in California. It would never have been feasible without GOA. It was first identified as a massive need in twenty twelve, but it was built in the nineteen seventies. And for years the park wrestled with how to cobble together the different funds needed to address it in different phases. Today, the full project is underway, and it's an example of how these monies will put Yosemite Valley, and all of our treasured public spaces on safer and stronger footing. We believe small but common sense refinements to this reauthorization will ensure that the LRF functions as Congress and Interior originally envisioned it, that these energy revenues flow faster to rebuild our aging infrastructure for the benefit and enjoyment of your constituents, the American people, especially as we celebrate our nation's two hundred and fiftieth birthday. The American people treasure their public lands, parks, battlefields, fields and especially our beautiful memorials. Interior is so proud to bear the duty to make sure they're safe, well-maintained and beautiful. We are so grateful for your help today in ensuring that we honor our nation's treasured public lands together. Thank you.

Thank you, Deputy Secretary McGregor, and and for the work you do at Interior, and I'm glad you mentioned that you used to be a staffer on the House Natural Resources Committee. Good, good training grounds. Uh, I now uh recognize Mr. Kevin Costner, an actor and director with deep ties to Hot Springs and our national parks across the country, a true uh spokesperson for those parks, and we're pleased to have you here today. Mr. Costner, you're recognized.

Yeah.

This this reminds me of a high school a little bit. Um, I uh m- maybe I should explain that. Um, having two really smart women to my left and right, I would have never graduated without them. Um, all the men and women up here, um, who are talking on behalf of us. Um, my presence here is I'd like to talk for us. I'd like to think that my experiences are similar to everyone that's out in the audience and maybe You know, that explains a few things besides how difficult it was to find this place on one single road. And get the tie right, my God. Um, members of Congress, Cha- and by the way, Chairman Westerman said this clock doesn't apply to me, so don't have it beep. Members of Congress, uh, Chairman Westerman, uh, Members of the Hot Springs community, thank you for opportunity to testify before you today. I didn't do anything wrong. Um, honest to God. My name is Kevin Costner. I have spent much of my life telling stories about the American landscape, uh, our wildlife, the people who understood in some mythical way that this would become a mission in our life like many of the people on this stage a passion worth protecting. My involvement in conservation has largely come through my work as a filmmaker. My goal has remained the same, to simply help people understand the history, value and importance of preserving our natural landscapes. My introduction to the environment came early as a result of my family's economic status. We didn't have a lot and we didn't have much time. the one week vacation was it for us. It was something I looked forward to my entire year. We didn't have the money to fly to Paris or to s- trip to New York to see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, or the Brooklyn Bridge. But we could afford the gas to get us to the mighty Sequoias, the High Sierras, to Yosemite, It was better than Paris, at least for a kid with my imagination. We could fish in a lake, sleep n- in a tent next to a stream, wake up to the smell of bacon and open fire, it seemed wild. Never mind that there were other tents and people sharing the same area. It was always worth the wait. But what always struck me, but I couldn't articulate as a child, was that it never changed. It was undisturbed. It was comforting to know when I came back it would look the same every time. It was perfect. But why was it so perfect? Nature doesn't need a lot of help being perfect. But getting to this spot would have been impossible without a road, a marked trail. perfect distance from the next camper. So how did that happen? And then it hit me. It was created by people I would never meet, people I would never be able to thank for taking the time, the effort to make it so perfect for me. Something so simple as a road, a trail, as thoughtful as a rail, that would keep me from out of danger as a child. that would lead to a lifetime of memories. Now I'm now I'm saying it to the men and women of the n- national parks. My God, thank you. Sometimes we think we know the story, but do we really? Do we know the struggle, what it really took? Perhaps we think of Teddy Roosevelt and the mythical relationship he had with John Muir. and their connection to Yosemite. But do we really know the forces that stood in their way? Do we know that these same great men, so celebrated in history, stood on the shoulders of a young boy named Ferdinand Hayden, who lost his father at the age of nine in eighteen thirty eight. His mother would abandon him and he went to work for his uncle. It couldn't have been easy. But at the ripe age of sixteen, he left and he would teach school. Two years later, this same young man would walk three hundred miles to Oberlin College in southern Ohio, and without introduction walked into the president's office and told him straight up that he didn't have any money. But if he allowed him to enroll, that he would do something special one day. In eighteen seventy-one, our country was struggling. It was rapidly expanding and still trying to recover from that terrible civil war. Our economy was in trouble. In response, an expedition was formed to go into an area that had only been seen by one white man. His description of it, however, was at best a rumor, so wild and so unbelievable that no one really took him seriously. They thought of him as perhaps a drunk. But like any good rumor, it would eventually make its way back to Washington. And out of it, an expedition was formed. The mission would be two-fold. One would be to look for gold and silver and any other minerals that could benefit the country. The second would be to find a train route that would connect St. Louis to San Francisco. It would be led by Ferdinand Hayden, the boy who couldn't afford to go to college, who is now man. It would be funded not only by the government, but also the most wealthy and powerful interests of the time, all eager to exploit its resources if they did exist. But what would happen during the course of that exploration would be so profound, so unexpected, that it would cause a shift in our country and eventually the world. and how we would value the land. There was little doubt that these resources were there and would be found. But what Ferdinand Hayden would see was not gold or silver or even a route to San Francisco. What stood out was the majestic waterfalls, the gli- the geysers blowing hot steam hundreds of feet into the air, pools of colored water. What the thirty-two members of this expedition were experience- were were experiencing was not just the rantings of a crazy man. What they were all seeing was Yellowstone. And slowly but surely, Ferdinand Hayden began to feel a shift in his own life, his own mission. And against all odds, Hayden would report back to a Congress that was violently divided, with little ability to agree on anything, and that, yes, there was good news. All the minerals were there, and the route to San Francisco could be built. All the things that he was charged to find were there. But after a deep breath, standing before him, They also, he also told them the truth. The single man standing without benefit of a single lobbyist, telling him that what he had seen could not be matched anywhere else in the world, and that it should be spared, left untouched for everyone to see, now and forever. The room was stunned. But that bill would somehow magically pass that day in a house that couldn't agree on anything. Ulysses S. Grant would sign it into law. And America would have its first national park. A country divided came together that day for a higher good. a testament to the boy who said he would do something special if given a chance to go to college. The odds of that happening in the area and the era lived and the forces that stood against it at a time when America's natural resources were up for grabs, free to be exploited, with little or no regard, for the future. It was zero. But he did it. He had a vision and the courage to champion preservation over profit. We have that chance today. Thank God for these people that would put it forth. We have that chance today. And nature, nature doesn't ask much from us. But think about what it does for us, our souls. But nature sits in silence. It's beautiful. It's awe-inspiring. And it's also vulnerable to our worst instincts. It's a patient that can't speak for itself. That's who we have to be. That's why we're here today. It's our opportunity. We have to stand up for it. And it's not enough to draw lines on a map. and call a pace a place protected. It requires real stewardship. Millions of Americans visit our national parks every year. Families travel across the country to experience experience these landscapes. Veterans. Veterans find peace on these trails. Children see wildlife in its natural habitat for the first time. Visitors from around the world come to witness what America has chosen to preserve. And yet while visitations continue to grow, many of our parks are struggling with aging roads, deteriorating trails, outdated water systems, historic buildings in need of repair, and staffing shortages that make it increasingly difficult to protect these resources and serve the public. We need the people who care for these places. We need the rangers who educate visitors, protect wildlife, maintain those trails, respond to emergencies, and preserve the stories these parks tell. If anything, the demands of our parks today demand more support, not less. Our nation does approach the two hundred fiftieth anniversary. And there's really no better time for us to reaffirm our commitment to these places that tell America's story. Conservation can't afford to b- t- it just can't afford to be a partisan issue. If it wasn't that day that Ferdinand I don't even know what I write sometimes, I just make it up. You know, when so much is at stake, it it becomes an American responsibility. It's our legacy and our solemn promise to the people and generations we will never meet. The Great Americans Outdoor Act represents one of the most important conservation achievements in recent history, because it recognizes that protecting our public lands requires more than good intentions. It requires action. This act will help address decades of deferred maintenance through our national park system. But the work is not finished, the needs remain substantial, the responsibility is ours. So as we think about the future of our national parks and the public lands, We should also recognize that conservation and public access are strengthened when the public and private sectors work together. And when thoughtfully structured, these partnerships can help deliver world-class opportunities and create new experiences that will s- res- inspire people to return again and again. Hot Springs National Park sits at the intersection of conservation, recreation, history and community. It shows how local communities, park leaders, non-profit organizations and private partners can work together to enhance public access while preserving the character and integrity of the resource itself. That's why I'm here today to urge Congress to reauthorize the Great American Outdoors Act, We have to live up to the vision that was created. So as we celebrate our two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, our na- of our nation, I think it's important for us to honor the foresight of those people who protected these places before us, by ensuring they remain protected for generations to come. That responsibility belongs to all of us. I believe we can all become Ferdinand Hayden. Thank you.

Thank you, Mister Costner, your your remarks were so captivating, I I forgot to look at the clock.

What did he say?

Thank you for sparing me, honestly. Really, I pr- I appreciate that. I I don't know how to make a point, I just know how to tell a story.

Thank you, thank you for telling the story. We now uh go to our next witness and it's my pleasure to introduce Catherine Andrews,

Thank you.

the Director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation at the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. Miss Andrews, you're recognized.

Thank you. It's not fair to have to follow that, but I'll do my best. Good morning, Chairman Westerman, Ranking Member Pathmen and members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to be here with you today. My name is Catherine Andrews and I'm Director of Arkansas's Office of Outdoor Recreation within the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. It's an honor to appear before this committee in support of the Great American Outdoors Act and particularly before Chairman Westerman, a fellow Arkansan and steadfast champion for our public lands, outdoor recreation opportunities and the natural state. From the towering bluffs of the Buffalo National River, To the rugged peaks of the Ouachita Mountains, from the Cypress-lined waters of the Delta, to the hills and streams of the Ozarks, Arkansas offers some of the most diverse outdoor recreation opportunities in America. We are home to the mountain biking capital of the world, the duck hunting capital of the world, and the trout capital of the United States. We have the start of the world's longest bayou, the highest waterfall between the Rockies and the Appalachians, and the nation's first national river, the Buffalo. Arkansas is al- also the only state where you can naturally hunt both an elk and an alligator in the same state. These places are more than just destinations. They are part of who we are, our culture, our legacy. Outdoor recreation is one of Arkansas's greatest strengths. It supports jobs, drives tourism, attracts businesses and workforce talent, improves public health, and creates opportunities for all of our communities. Visitors and residents alike are drawn to places where they can spend time outdoors and those experiences create real economic impact. In twenty twenty four alone, visitors to Arkansas's National Park Service sites generated more than three hundred and one million dollars in economic activity for local communities, and that impact is felt right here in Hot Springs. Those visitors supported local restaurants, outfitters, lodging providers, retailers and countless other small businesses that depend on strong outdoor recreation assets. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has made outdoor recreation a priority for Arkansas and has challenged us to think bigger about how our natural assets can drive economic growth improve quality of life and strengthen communities across our state. One of the central ideas behind that effort is simple. Outdoor recreation is an industry, and like every industry, it depends on infrastructure. We often think of infrastructure as highways, bridges, utilities, and industrial sites. For the outdoor recreation industry, infrastructure looks different. It's trails, campgrounds, boat launches, visitor facilities, and public lands. Without places to recreate, there is no outdoor recreation economy. Recreation access and public lands are infrastructure for the outdoor recreation industry. They are the foundation upon which the outdoor economy is built. In Arkansas, we've seen firsthand that access drives participation. Participation drives economic activity and economic activity supports jobs businesses and communities. Through the Great American Outdoors Act nearly thirty-eight million dollars has been invested in projects across Arkansas, helping improve almost a hundred and fifty public land assets throughout the state. As of March twenty twenty five, these investments have supported projects at Hot Springs National Park, the Buffalo National River, and Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge. one of the most important waterfowl habitats in North America. These investments are not simply about repairing buildings or roads. They're investments in family fishing trips. They're investments in duck hunters, hikers, paddlers, campers, birdwatchers, and outdoor enthusiasts. They are investments in gateway communities and rural economies. And most importantly, they're investments that ensure that future generations can enjoy the same outdoor experiences that have shaped so many of us. As Director of Arkansas's Office of Outdoor Recreation, I often say that our office serves two groups. First, we serve our outdoor recreation industry partners, manufacturers, outfitters, guides, retailers, hospitality businesses and entrepreneurs. We help them grow, create jobs and overcome barriers to success. Second, we serve our communities, cities, counties and non-profit partners that are working to leverage outdoor recreation as a tool for economic development and quality of life. The Great American Outdoors Act supports both. In Arkansas, we have set an ambitious goal of doubling our outdoor recreation economy, and achieving that goal will require continued investment in our outdoor recreation assets. This year, as our nation celebrates America's two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, we have an opportunity to reflect not only on our history but our responsibility. On behalf of the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation and the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, thank you for your commitment to America's lands and our outdoor recreation opportunities. Thank you for you. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today, and I look forward to answering your questions.