Muskegon Sun

U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt praised President Donald Trump on "The Steve Gruber Show" last week regarding the Great American Outdoors Act.

"In my opinion, President Trump will go down, ultimately, as the greatest conservation president in our lifetime," Bernhardt said on the show. "And his track record, for anyone who believes in hunting and angling, or actually just simply recreating outdoors, is absolutely incredible."

Bernhardt said Trump's efforts to provide public access for hunting and fishing have been outstanding and that the enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act took everything to a new level.

David Bernhardt, Secretary | U.S. Department of the Interior

"First off, there's $900 million a year guaranteed from now through perpetuity," Bernhardt told Gruber. "Nine hundred million dollars a year that's directed to enhancing outdoor recreation activities. Some of that goes to state and local governments, and some of it stays with the federal government, but that's an incredible investment every year in hunting and fishing and recreational activities."

Bernhardt said that includes everything from boat ramps to baseball fields, and it's a major commitment by the federal government to outdoor recreation.

"And actually it's a commitment that was made in the '60s, but the commitment was never kept," Bernhardt said on the podcast.

He said it also invests another $10 billion in the infrastructure on public lands that are in need of updating, like parks.

"It's never been done before," Bernhardt told Gruber. "It's a permanent commitment to funding land acquisition and recreational activities, all to allow people to get outside and recreate. And it's fundamentally a game changer for us working with local governments and helping them and also our own. And here's the thing we know, particularly given the pandemic: There is nothing better for you, for your health, for your sanity, frankly, and certainly for your soul, than getting outside and resetting with nature."

Bernhardt said that "absolutely everywhere" visitations are up and sales are up.

"And this president... has hit a home run on conservation for wildlife, recreation for American people," Bernhardt said on the podcast. "And it's all for the betterment of our planet and the betterment of ourselves, to be completely honest. There's nothing better than getting out and recreating."

Bernhardt said Trump doesn't get the credit he should, considering that he's done things that were promised.

"Five presidents promised that they would find a way to do this, and none of them did," Bernhardt told Gruber. "And he said, let's do it. And he got it done in Congress."