“The House Interior Appropriations budget is reckless and should be a nonstarter for anyone who cares about our national parks and public lands." - Theresa Pierno, NPCA's President and CEO
Washington, DC – The House Appropriations Committee released its fiscal year 2024 budget proposal for the Interior Department, including the National Park Service. The proposal calls for a $436 million (nearly 13%) cut to the Park Service’s budget that just received a critical increase last year. This would result in the loss of more than 1,000 park staff and dig our parks into an even bigger financial hole as another record-breaking summer season is in full gear. The budget also includes deep cuts to the Historic Preservation Fund and park construction, which help to protect the stories and places that tell our nation’s history as we prepare to celebrate our 250th anniversary.
The bill includes policy riders that would roll back protections for Voyageurs National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where mining and oil and gas development have been prohibited. Other policy riders would roll back funding for important policies that ensure communities have an equal say in national park and public lands decisions. The bill would also prohibit funding for North Cascades Grizzly Bear Ecosystem Restoration, a plan with overwhelming public support that would safeguard one of our country’s most iconic wild creatures.
Below is a statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO, National Parks Conservation Association:
“The House Interior Appropriations budget is reckless and should be a nonstarter for anyone who cares about our national parks and public lands.
“Despite their overwhelming popularity, our national parks have been underfunded and understaffed for decades. Parks have already cut thousands of staff, stopped educational programs for visitors, and delayed critically needed preservation work. But rather than address these problems, Congress is now calling for massive cuts that will only further set back our national parks.
“As millions of families set out on their summer trips to our beloved national parks, this damaging bill sends a clear message that taking care of our parks and making sure they are well-staffed for visitors is not a priority.
“Congress should uphold the agreed upon budget deal and reject any cuts that would jeopardize the future of our most treasured places.”
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About the 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 more than 1.6 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.
