The Great American Outdoors Act, which would dedicate around $2 billion a year to national parks, is being sent to the desk of President Trump to be signed into law.
The act gives funds to national parks, including the Great Smoky Mountains, to cut through a backlog in maintenance work. Officials estimated that there is around $224 million in maintenance work to be done in the Smoky Mountains.
The money would be used to fix roads, repair worn trails and repair bathrooms inside national parks. It passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander sponsored the bill.
It also fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which safeguards natural areas, water resources and recreational areas for public use.