Bipartisan Compromise House Bill Proposes Dedicated Funding for National Park Repairs

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman, Rob Bishop (R-UT), with the support of numerous bipartisan members of Congress, including committee Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), introduced a bipartisan bill to provide funding to repair aging infrastructure in America’s more than 400 national park sites. The bill also addresses public lands managed by Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). The Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act (H.R.6510) would provide $5.2 billion in dedicated funding – from royalties collected from resource extraction on public lands and waters – that would go towards reducing the National Park Service’s deferred maintenance backlog (PDF). The House bill comes just weeks after a bipartisan companion bill was introduced by U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Angus King (I-ME), which would provide a total of $6.5 billion over five years to repair park roads, visitor facilities, crumbling trails and other structures.

Below is a statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for National Parks Conservation Association:

“Our country’s national parks hold some of America’s most precious natural and cultural resources from the rocky coastlines of Acadia to the Navajo sandstone cliffs of Zion. Unfortunately, due to years of funding shortfalls, our most treasured places are plagued by outdated water infrastructure, crumbling trails and decaying park facilities across the National Park System – nearly $12 billion in needed repairs. Millions of Americans visit our parks annually and expect great experiences when there. Today, with the introduction of the Restore our Parks and Public Lands Act, Congress is one step closer to ensuring that our parks can continue to provide safe conditions for visitors, while also protecting the resources that help tell our shared American story.

“This bipartisan compromise bill is a major step towards addressing our parks’ maintenance needs, ensuring our most historically, culturally and naturally significant places are preserved for years to come. By restoring park roads, buildings and trails at national parks, we also enhance visitor access and experiences, and provide tremendous economic benefits for gateway communities nationwide.

“The momentum from this bill is promising. Parks bring people together and we will continue to work with Congress to deliver long-term solutions for our parks’ funding needs. Our national parks, their visitors and local economies deserve nothing less.”

###

About National Parks Conservation Association Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its 1.3 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.