The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund provides the National Park Service with up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education and enjoyment for current and future visitors. 

GAOA primarily funds large multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects in national parks; however, a percentage supports smaller projects executed by regionally based Maintenance Action Teams (MAT). MATs consist of National Park Service staff who are skilled in a variety of trades including historic restoration and preservation work, carpentry, trail maintenance, hazard tree removal, stone masonry, and building component renewal.

MATs enable the National Park Service to complete projects that require consistent high-quality work from skilled craftspeople at a time when fewer people are practicing traditional trades. These traveling teams focus on the maintenance and repair needs of under-resourced small and medium-sized parks, achieving geographic distribution of projects throughout the country.

Many MAT projects also involve volunteers and Youth and Veteran Service Corps, exposing the next generation of public service workers to opportunities in the National Park Service. Not only are these MAT projects helping address maintenance and infrastructure needs, but they’re also bringing new professionals into the Service from the ground up. This multifaceted approach is taking care of our assets today while simultaneously building a workforce that will become National Park Service stewards well into the future. With this MAT model, the National Park Service has dedicated over $57 million from the Legacy Restoration Fund through fiscal year 2023, to complete more than 180 maintenance projects at 140 park units throughout the country.

View a downloadable and printer-friendly fact sheet for an overview of MAT projects in the National Park Service. (2989KB PDF)

Why are MAT activities important?

The teams focus on the maintenance and repair needs of small and medium-sized parks while allowing the National Park Service to achieve geographic distribution of GAOA projects throughout the country. MAT projects are an integral component of the National Park Service’s ongoing efforts to preserve, restore, and rehabilitate park infrastructure and facilities.

MAT activities restore and protect historic structures; remediate facilities in poor condition; reduce or eliminate deferred maintenance and repair; and reduce annual operating costs.

Partnerships & Legacy

MAT activities are also excellent partnering opportunities. A primary objective of the MAT program is to strengthen relationships and enhance partnerships with targeted organizations so the National Park Service can increase the diversity of candidate pools for employment and internship opportunities. These organizations include public land corps, youth conservation corps, veterans’ groups, volunteers, and interns. The National Park Service is currently developing a strategy to facilitate project scoping for MAT projects that are specifically targeted toward successful integration of these organizations.

Using MATs in close coordination with field-based maintenance and preservation professionals throughout the agency further leverage the skills of our experienced workforce to train and develop the next generation of National Park Service staff.

Find more information about MAT activities, including a sortable map.

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