Tennessee leaders applaud Roe for supporting the Great American Outdoors Act

Legislation will help restore deteriorating parks and public lands nationwide

KINGSPORT, TN — The U.S. House of Representatives recently took an historic vote when it approved the Great American Outdoors Act. This bill will invest in priority repairs at National Park Service (NPS) sites in Tennessee and across the country. In Tennessee alone, deferred maintenance needs total $288,288,338, just part of the multi-billion backlog threatening park resources and local economies.

The bill will also address repairs on other public lands and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, an important tool that preserves access to public lands and provides resources to urban and rural communities for recreation facilities.

“Our parks and historic sites have been crumbling for years. This bill will help restore the integrity of these important places and the stories they tell. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is facing $146,408,973 in repairs. This bill will help immediately address these needs.”, said Miles Burdine, President & CEO of the Kingsport Chamber. “We thank Rep. Phil Roe for voting for the Great American Outdoors Act.



The legislation is the most significant investment in almost 65 years for national parks and public lands. Equally important, it will help our local community and businesses get back on their feet and will generate more jobs. According to NPS, in 2019 alone, visitors spent $717 million in gateway communities across Tennessee.

Park tourism contributes over $41.7 billion to the national economy annually and supports over 340,000 jobs. This legislation has the backing of more than 900 organizations including local towns and cities, the recreation industry, veterans groups, hotel and lodging, infrastructure associations, preservation groups, hunters and anglers, conservation organizations, and local businesses.

The Kingsport Chamber is composed of two non-profit organizations: the Kingsport Chamber Foundation (501(c)(3)) and Kingsport Chamber of Commerce (501(c)(6)).

The Kingsport Chamber Foundation manages, promotes, supports and assists a number of charitable, educational, environmental, leadership, quality of life and wellness programs that have a tremendous impact on the Kingsport community.



Programs of the Kingsport Chamber Foundation include: Communications & Development; Downtown Concert Series; Downtown Kingsport Association; Education & Workforce Development; Fun Fest; Healthy Kingsport; Keep Kingsport Beautiful; Kingsport Leadership Programs (Leadership Kingsport and S.H.O.U.T.!® Youth Leadership); Kingsport Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE); Move to Kingsport; Santa Train; STREAMWORKS; Tennessee/Virginia Scholars; and Visit Kingsport.

The Kingsport Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to utilize resources and focus efforts on enhancing a strong and viable business environment for the Kingsport area.

Programs of the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce include: Communications & Development; Government Relations; and Membership. The Kingsport Chamber of Commerce has nearly 1,000 members.

For more information on the Kingsport Chamber, visit KingsportChamber.org or call 423-392-8800.

Published September 7, 2020