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On August 4, 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act GAOA was signed into law, after passing in both the Senate and the House by wide margins with significant bi-partisan support. The Act, funded by oil and gas production revenues, guarantees the full $900 million annual allocation to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The LWCF is a critical public funding source for land conservation in the United States, and it has been among many sources of funding for Lyme’s conservation outcomes in recent decades. The GAOA’s passage ensures investments in landscapes and rural economies, and it secures a potential funding source for conserving privately-owned forestland for sustainable timber production that supports rural economies and the range of ecosystem services forests deliver. In addition, the GAOA invests in the infrastructure and maintenance of existing public lands and natural resources. Read more about the significance of the bill from the perspective of major industry groups, conservation organizations, landowners, and others here.