The USDA Forest Service is giving the public an exclusive look at the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) status with the recently released dashboard.
These projects are impacting forests in the national parks throughout the United States. A growing number of trails and roads are being repaired and, recreation areas renovated, structures are being upgraded to increase the public’s access.
The Forest Service has more than 550 projects in progress to help reduce the backlog of deferred maintenance and enhance public access to outdoor activities.
The new dashboard builds upon their ongoing effort to keep the public aware of the agency’s work. The previous year, the service launched a story map demonstrating the impact specific projects are making on local communities by enhancing accessibility and opportunities for outdoor recreation, a report said.
The dashboard, which was released today, allows tracking of the performance and execution of each project closely.
The Forest Service’s approach to implementing the Great American Outdoors Act was grounded in asking the public and partners what was most important,” said Chris French, Forest Service Deputy Chief for the National Forest System.
“This new dashboard strengthens the Forest Service commitment to transparency and accountability by showing the public our progress on upgrading our facilities and enhancing public access to their national forests,” he added.
Users can also track the progress of projects from coast to coast. Through the dashboard, users can observe how the agency tackles maintenance that has been delayed.
Once completed, this project will provide local communities and visitors more access to winter activities and invite new users to try out winter snow sports.
On the other side of the nation, visitors can check in on the Pandapas Pond Project, located in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. This project is designed to improve a hiking trail and fishing platform on a popular spot just outside Blacksburg, Virginia.
These are just two examples of the 556 projects funded in the fiscal year 2021 under GAOA.
In addition to tracking the fund’s overall implementation, the public can also check each project and read details like project descriptions, impacts on deferred maintenance, and implementation status.
Additional information includes the number of trails, roads, bridges, and similar infrastructure assets covered by GAOA projects and plans carried out by partners such as the Conservation Corps and tribal organizations.
All the data in the dashboard is updated daily by the staff of the national forests and grasslands, providing the most up-to-date data regarding GAOA projects’ implementation. The next fiscal year’s projects will be posted to the dashboard when Congress approves them.
For additional information on the Forest Service implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/gaoa.
The Forest Service’s new dashboard is a game-changer! It lets you peek behind the scenes of the Great American Outdoors Act projects, showing how we’re sprucing up national parks. You can dig into the nitty-gritty of over 550 projects, like fixing trails and boosting winter sports fun. It’s like getting a backstage pass to see how our outdoor adventures are getting even better!