The Mountaineers
For years, the Mount Pilchuck Road - which provides access to the Heather Lake Trailhead and Mount Pilchuck - was notoriously known for its many potholes and extremely rough road. Thanks to funding from the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), visitors to the area have enjoyed a significantly repaired road since 2024, making the popular Heather Lake and Mount Pilchuck hikes accessible to more outdoor enthusiasts. This project is just one of the many ways the LRF has created a more safe and sustainable future for Washington’s public lands and the recreation experiences they provide.
With the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) in 2020, The Mountaineers and the wider outdoor community helped secure a landmark investment in our public lands by Congress. Created by the GAOA law, the Legacy Restoration Fund brought $1.9 billion a year to address a significant maintenance backlog on our national parks, forests, and other federal lands. Over the last five years, the LRF has restored and maintained recreation amenities important to the outdoor community, including trails, campsites, restrooms, ranger stations, roads, and bridges. Given chronic underfunding and the growing maintenance backlog at the Forest Service and Park Service - currently to the tune of about $41 billion nationally - securing dedicated funding to chip away at deferred maintenance projects in popular recreation areas was critically needed.
The LRF has infused $271.2 million into 38 projects across Washington state to restore and improve places like Snoqualmie Pass, the North Cascades, and the Olympic Peninsula. Unfortunately, the Legacy Restoration Fund expired on September 30 and has not yet been reauthorized by Congress. Take action today in support of the restoration and maintenance of our public lands by using our action form to ask your Senators to support legislation to renew funding for the Legacy Restoration Fund.
Washington’s Champions for the LRF
The Mountaineers and our Outdoor Alliance Washington partners have supported the Legacy Restoration Fund at every step of its journey. From bill text to project implementation, we’ve engaged in advocacy and project-specific outreach and storytelling efforts with lawmakers and land managers around the GAOA. Steadfast support from members of Washington’s congressional delegation helped bring the Legacy Restoration Fund to life and supported projects that put LRF resources to work across our state.
Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Patty Murray, and former Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) were particularly engaged in the legislation. Senator Cantwell and former Representative Kilmer have been strong supporters and lead advocates for the Great American Outdoors Act. Senator Cantwell and Rep. DelBene were both original co-sponsors to the bill in 2020.
Senator Cantwell has referred to the GAOA as “the most significant land conservation and outdoor recreation bill in a half century.” We’re grateful for the opportunity to share the good news and on-the-ground impact of Legacy Restoration Fund, including this project tour at the Denny Creek area of Snoqualmie Pass with Rep. Kim Schrier last year.
Five Years of Restoration and Maintenance on WA Public Lands
The Legacy Restoration Fund has restored and maintained trails and other recreation amenities in Washington, including at the following popular recreation areas:
Snoqualmie Pass Area
- Denny Creek/Franklin Falls area: campground improvements, parking lot expansion, trailhead improvements, and updated signage.
- Annette Lake Trail: improvements to address erosion and safety issues.
- Snow Lake Trail: improvements that enhanced safety and accessibility at one of the most popular destinations in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
North Cascades/Mountain Loop Highway
- Washington Pass Overlook Site.
- Heather Meadows trail improvements and restoration of interpretive sites, picnic areas, and viewpoints.
- Mountain Loop Highway area trail improvements.
- Restored recreational access to Big Four Ice Caves after a multi-year closure for erosion and safety concerns.
- Pacific Crest Trail - Rainy Pass: trail improvements for clearing brush, improving trail tread, enhancing drainage, and addressing other maintenance needs.
- Pilchuck road access: potholes repaired on the road to Mount Pilchuck.
Mount Rainier National Park
- Ohanapecosh Campground restoration and improvements.
- Stevens Canyon Road improvements.
Olympic Peninsula
- Olympic National Park: Barnes Point Wastewater system improvements.
- Olympic National Forest: Restroom replacement at the Quinault Rainforest trailhead.
Reauthorizing the Legacy Restoration Fund
The Great American Outdoors Act was originally passed under a divided Congress and signed into law by President Trump in the last year of his first term. Fast forward to 2025, there is bipartisan support in Congress to pursue reauthorization of the Act’s Legacy Restoration Fund. Senators Steve Daines of Montana and Angus King of Maine have introduced the America the Beautiful Act to reauthorize the LRF. The bill extends the program through 2033 and provides a slight bump in LRF funding. We anticipate introduction of a House version to follow suit, as the House Natural Resources Committee has announced their intent to focus on a companion bill this fall.
It’s important to consider how the federal agency funding landscape has changed since the last few years. Significantly reduced workforces at the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service means that agencies will have fewer staff to support projects from application to implementation. Simply reauthorizing the LRF won’t put the agencies on a new path to rebound from the drastic cuts they’ve experienced this year, but it is a critical tool in the land manager toolbox to continue the important work of restoring critical recreation sites and making a sizable dent in maintenance backlogs.
Later this month, The Mountaineers and our Outdoor Alliance partners will advocate together in our nation’s capital on behalf of Legacy Restoration Fund reauthorization. We’ll share how the program has made a difference in Washington and invite support for the effort to extend a critical funding source for maintenance of national parks, forests, and other areas. But our advocacy needs your voice. The more that lawmakers hear from their constituents about the value of the Legacy Restoration Fund, the more likely they’ll consider the legislation at a time when very few bills are moving on Capitol Hill.
Take Action
Ask your lawmakers to support extension of the Legacy Restoration Fund. Use our action form to ask your Senators to co-sponsor and support the America the Beautiful Act - legislation that would reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund. Including a personal story of how Washington’s Legacy Restoration Fund projects have improved your recreation experience will add more weight to your letter. Thank you for helping us share about the LRF’s impact in Washington and the importance of future funding for restoration and maintenance projects for our parks and federal public lands.
