“This incredible victory comes after years of bipartisan support and tireless leadership from long-term and recent champions in both the House and Senate, and reminds us that conservation of our shared outdoor spaces is something we can all come together on.“

Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society

President Donald Trump signed long-awaited legislation last week to funnel billions of dollars into America’s national parks to address a massive backlog in repairs, and to make them “greater than they have ever been before.”

“The legislation I’m signing today builds on my administration’s unwavering commitment to conserving and — the grandeur and the splendor of God’s creation,” Trump said in signing the bill Aug. 4. “This is truly God’s creation.” 

Strong bipartisan support finally pushed forward the measure, called the Great American Outdoors Act, which became law Aug. 9. It provides funding to address the $11.6-billion backlog in repairs and maintenance at national parks and monuments, according to the National Park Service. It also provides up to $1.9 billion a year for five years — at little or no cost to taxpayers — for grants to states and tribes to develop outdoor recreation areas, conserve habitat and protect forests. 

Long-awaited investment for Arizona’s national parks 

Arizona is among the most affected by repair backlogs. As of 2018, it had a maintenance backlog totaling $595.1 million, including $313.9 million in needed repairs at Grand Canyon National Park, $91 million at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and $48 million at Petrified Forest National Park, according to the park service. 

The act is expected to benefit all of Arizona, but particularly rural areas that derive  revenue from visitors to places like the Grand Canyon, the country’s second most popular national park. Last year, 5.97 million people enjoyed the canyon’s 277-mile long view.

Less reliance on taxpayer dollars

The contains two pieces. First, it establishes a fund to direct nearly $10 billion over five years into maintenance projects, repairs, and upgrades to national parks, monuments and historic sites. The fund, the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, will receive much of its funding from federal revenues generated from the development of oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy on federal lands and waters. 

Second, the act makes permanent the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The fund allocates $900 million a year for grants to states and tribes to acquire and develop public parks and recreation areas and protect habitat and forests, without dependence on tax dollars. LWCF draws its money from royalties of companies drilling for oil and gas on the publicly-owned Outer Continental Shelf, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. 

Funding will be divided between the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Education. 

National parks boost economies in rural areas 

The Act is predicted to create over 100,000 jobs nationwide and help clear the maintenance backlog on public lands.

It’s also expected to provide a much needed boost to economies in rural and tribal areas, according to Arizona’s two U.S. senators, Kyrsten Sinema (D) and Martha McSally (R), who were co-sponsors of the bill.

“Arizona is home to diverse public lands and outdoor recreation which draw millions of visitors from across the nation and world,” Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association President and CEO Kim Sabow said. “Our national, state and local parks, trails and public lands are a critical economic driver for communities.”

Before the pandemic, outdoor recreation in the state ge201,000 direct jobs, $21.2 billion in consumer spending, $5.7 billion in wages and salaries, and $1.4 billion in state, county, and local tax revenue annually, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

Endorsed by businesses, conservation groups

The Great American Outdoors Act was endorsed by the U.S. Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce, the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce and Industry, hundreds of , and more than 800 conservation , including the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers of Arizona, Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation, Arizona Trail Association, and more.

“Passage of the Great American Outdoors Act ensures a needed economic shot in the arm for rural Arizona by investing millions in infrastructure upgrades at Arizona jewels like the Grand Canyon and Lake Mead,” Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ President and CEO Glenn Hamer said. Members of Arizona’s congressional delegation who championed the bill included House Natural Resources Committee Chair RaĂşl Grijalva.

An expanded LWCF will, among other things, mean more opportunities to preserve green spaces in currently low-income and “park-poor” communities, Grijalva said. 

“This is truly an investment in our children, our environment and our quality of life, and that’s why we’re seeing such bipartisan support in Congress,” Grijalva said when the bill was passed. “With climate change advancing around the country, this couldn’t come at a better time.”

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Throughout the country, U.S. agricultural exporters, including soybean and pork producers, have taken major hits in their economic numbers as a result of the tariff war with China.

Now, The Trump Administration will spend $16 billion to help farmers hurt by the US-China trade war, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced yesterday.

The fear among farmers, importers and consumers in Arizona is that Chinese tariffs placed on their goods will keep them out of the Chinese market for a long time.

“What’s going to end up happening is you end up having an impact on those businesses that import,” said economist Jim Rounds. “The tariffs will end up passing more costs to consumers, so you and I will be paying for those tariffs. In the meantime, people will adjust and businesses will adjust their supplier network from other countries. But this will create a disadvantage with China.”

China struck back at the U.S.’s tariff hike on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods with tariffs on about 5,000 types of American products reaching about $60 billion. Some of the major components of those tariffs are agricultural products including beef, soybeans, and vegetables.

China is Arizona’s third-largest exporter, shipping out goods such as meat products and cotton. According to the Arizona Beef Council, Arizona’s cattle community contributes about $435 million a year to the state’s GDP, and exports about $525 million of its total beef output to places such as China.

“I think it’s all very delicate,” Rounds said. “Trade agreements for us on the border typically mean issues with Mexico. When it comes to China, however, I think most Americans in general, especially in Arizona, feel that China really hasn’t played by the rules when it comes to trade. I think it’s been very difficult for us to swallow the way China has gone about this.”

Pig farmers in the country have faced two separate rounds of 25 percent punitive tariffs from China on their exports last year. The value of pork from the United States has dipped 14 percent so far this year and producers of the commodity are losing about $8 per pig because of the trade dispute.

“I think what you do have is a lot of conversation toward trade, which is very good,” Jaime Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­lain of J.C. Distributing in Nogales said. “It’s always very good to have these discussions and issues. This will help more people realize where their products come from and how they get their goods and the costs of those goods. I think the American public needs to educate themselves a lot more.”

The scuttlebutt around the farming and import community in Arizona is that hopes are now being turned toward finalizing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), or even expanding business with the European Union, which has called for more soybean imports.

“Our efforts should never turn away from Mexico. I think it’s something we need to continue to foster. It behooves us to have a very good relationship with our southern and northern partners,” said Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­lain. “We should never take our eye off the ball with that. I do believe that the ratification of the USMCA is extremely important for our trade future. That should be the number one thing we should focus on. But with China, the tariffs most certainly need to be addressed.”

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