USDA Forest Service invests over $23 million into deferred maintenance projects in Arizona and New Mexico

May 12, 2023 — Today, the USDA Forest Service Southwestern Region announced its investment of $23, 982,600 in Fiscal Year 2023 funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to support 27 selected projects across New Mexico and Arizona. These investments are made from the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) established by the Great American Outdoors Act.
These projects support the recent announcement by the Departments of Agriculture and Interior proposing a combined $2.8 billion in funding for Fiscal Year 2024 to improve infrastructure, recreation facilities, public lands access, and land and water conservation as the legislation enters its third year out of five.
“We are excited for the continued opportunities to collaborate on these large-scale Great American Outdoors Act projects. With our communities and partners, we are improving visitor access, land and water conservation, and recreation infrastructure,” said Southwestern Regional Forester Michiko Martin.
Including the authorized and funded deferred maintenance projects for Fiscal Year 2023, the Southwestern Region currently has 71 LRF projects in various stages of development, with 10 completed.
Since 2021, the Forest Service has completed more than 122 deferred maintenance projects across 53 national forests in 25 states with more than 880 additional projects currently funded and in various stages of completion.
In southern Arizona, the Coronado National Forest, working through strong partnerships, has been able to address a backlog of deferred maintenance across the over 1,000 miles of Sky Island Trail system on the forest. This project, funded by the Great American Outdoors Act, is focused on improving drainage, removing heavy brush and vegetation, maintaining and reconstructing retaining walls and other trails structures, and restoring tread.
On the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico, the Great American Outdoors Act funded the Sandia Crest recreation complex improvements. This project has enhanced visitor experience through improved accessibility and shelter areas at the forest’s most visited recreation site, while also addressing deferred maintenance and improving economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

More information on these and many other LRF projects can be found on the Southwestern Region website, or check out the Great American Outdoors Act, Legacy Restoration Fund storymap. For additional information about the Forest Service implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/gaoa.
The Great American Outdoors Act addresses the growing $7 billion backlog of deferred maintenance on national forest and grasslands. The Forest Service currently administers more than 370,000 miles of roads, 13,400 bridges, 159,000 miles of trails, 1,700 dams and reservoirs, 1,500 communications sites, 27,000 recreation sites and 40,000 facilities of other types across the United States and Puerto Rico.