SEATTLE (June 10, 2026) – State of Washington Tourism (SWT) signed on in support of the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA 250) today. The legislation is sponsored by Chairman Westerman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Huffman (D-Calif.) If enacted, the bill would:

  • Invest $1.9 billion in national parks and public lands for five years. This will be offset by the new foreign visitor fees, private donations, and onshore energy revenue. 
  • Support 72,500 jobs across the country and $26.4 billion in revenue for rural, gateway communities.
  • Restore campgrounds, trails, boat ramps, hunting and fishing sites, and other recreational infrastructure in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
  • Promote transparency and accountability by streamlining contracting and procurement, expediting project reviews, and requiring regular reporting.

“As home to three national parks and over 45 million acres of public land, funding to modernize and update public land and water infrastructure, increase access to outdoor spaces, and complete high-priority deferred maintenance projects is critical for Washington State,” said David Blandford, CEO of SWT. “Visitors to Washington’s national parks and public lands provide an enormous benefit to residents. As its fourth largest industry, tourism continues to support over 152,000 jobs and $3.5 billion in direct state and local tax revenue. This legislation will fund critical maintenance infrastructure and provide our national parks with the support needed to continue to efficiently serve visitors and residents of Washington State.” 

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About State of Washington Tourism

State of Washington Tourism (SWT) is a 501(c)(6) organization established by industry stakeholders with the sole mission of developing and sustaining Washington State destination tourism marketing. SWT procures and administers funds for marketing efforts and creates and implements a strategic statewide marketing plan. For more information, visit stateofWAtourism.com or the industry site at industry.stateofWAtourism.com. 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Althea Conyers Achem
Public Relations, GreenRubino for State of Washington Tourism
WATourismPR@greenrubino.com
620-245-7692