House Passes Funding Bill for the Outdoors

Today, House lawmakers passed the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill as part of a package of funding bills. The bill is an important bipartisan compromise that will help support  America’s public lands and create stability for federal land management agencies following a year of significant staff losses and turmoil.

For more than a year, most agencies have been operating under short and long-term continuing resolutions to keep the agencies open. These CRs provide less specificity in programmatic funding levels, meaning greater discretion for the administration to enact changes not considered or approved by Congress, and without certainty about future funding levels, agencies are forced to plan under worst-cast-scenario funding levels based on the President’s budget. The Interior appropriations bill that passed today would provide clarity and stability for land management agencies and immediately support public lands and waters.

“Outdoor Alliance applauds House lawmakers for passing appropriations that will support public lands and waters and outdoor experiences,” said Louis Geltman, VP for Policy and Government Relations at Outdoor Alliance. “Funding for public lands has been in a holding pattern for too long, and we are grateful for a bipartisan approach to appropriations that ensures agencies and their staff can plan for the year ahead and invest in providing outdoor recreation experiences that Americans expect.”

While the outdoor community continues to advocate for higher funding levels for key recreation and conservation programs, this FY26 bill represents an important compromise, and we appreciate the hard work of the appropriations committees in negotiating a bipartisan bill. We especially appreciate that the Interior bill:

• Includes clear Congressional direction regarding where and how funds are spent, including for key recreation and conservation programs;

• Rejects irresponsible cuts to federal land management agencies included in the President’s Budget;

• Fully funds the Land & Water Conservation Fund and keeps the fund dedicated to its intended conservation and recreation purposes;

• Provides funding needed to maintain public lands staffing at prior-year levels; and

• Rejects new controversial policy riders that would harm public lands and waters.

The appropriations process is one of the most important, and overlooked, ways we protect public lands and outdoor recreation. The outdoor community has played a key role this year in keeping public lands public and defending conservation policy. Our voices are vital to ensuring public lands and waters get the funding and resources they need.