How to create good new jobs in America's wonderlands

Setting aside our natural treasures to be owned and enjoyed by the public at large was one of the most forward thinking ideas in our country's history. Growing up in Colorado and West Virginia, our childhoods were marked with field trips and adventures in our country's majestic public lands. Whether it was hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park or the woods of North Central West Virginia, we learned to appreciate the great American outdoors.

Now, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect these national parks and pass them on to the next generation in even better shape. The Great American Outdoors Act -- a piece of legislation we have worked on for years with bipartisan support -- will reinvest in these outdoor spaces by allocating billions of dollars for repairs and maintenance projects that have been put off for too long. The landmark bill will simultaneously boost our conservation efforts and local economies by enhancing and protecting these natural treasures while putting Americans to work at a time when we need it most.