"WRDA keeps the momentum going on park projects that cannot afford to wait." -- NPCA's Chad Lord
Washington, DC – The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) today applauds Congress for passing the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). WRDA includes several projects that improve and protect our national parks from more frequent, severe weather and flooding. As an important federal agency for NPCA’s park protection work, WRDA authorizes the Army Corps’ to better prepare communities and coastal and river national parks for extreme weather, leading to improvements in infrastructure and healthier waterways across the country. NPCA has championed the two-year WRDA authorization cycle as an important legislative tool to deliver benefits to our national parks.
Ten percent of America’s coastline is managed by the National Park Service. Our 88 coastal national parks cover more than 11,000 miles of shoreline and 2.5 million acres of oceans and Great Lakes’ waters. From the fresh water flowing through the Greater Everglades to glaciers in coastal Alaska parks, to seashores at Cape Cod and South Padre Island, our coastal and river parks are living laboratories, helping communities better prepare for and overcome unavoidable impacts of climate change. Hundreds of millions of Americans depend on clean, healthy waterways and oceans, teeming with abundant wildlife for their livelihoods, cultural identities and economic well-being. National park visitors consistently rank water quality or water access as one of their top five values when visiting national parks. The Outdoor Industry Association found that consumers spend $887 billion annually on outdoor recreation, with nearly $140 billion on kayaking, rafting, canoeing, and scuba diving and other water sports, much of which takes place in our parks.
Park projects that will benefit from WRDA include:
- Restores the Greater Everglades through the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) - a top priority for Big Cypress and the Western Everglades ecosystem that further protects Florida’s clean-water economy and strengthens coastal communities and national parks here from natural disasters.
“The Western Everglades are rich in untamed beauty, providing habitat for some of Florida’s most iconic flora and fauna,” said Cara Capp, NPCA’s Greater Everglades Associate Director. “Years of irresponsible development have disrupted the natural hydrology of this wild waterscape, which includes areas of Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. This bold new restoration plan will better connect ecosystems, improve water quality, and reduce the severity and frequency of dangerous wildfires. We are grateful for leaders of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, as well as our congressional champions, for raising their voices to protect and restore the Everglades.”
“Indiana Dunes’ sought after lakefront beaches have long been threatened by erosion and climate change is intensifying the threat, with shoreline and park infrastructure already swallowed by Lake Michigan,” said Tim Koenning, NPCA’s Midwest Field Representative. “Expediting the completion of this much-needed study of Indiana Dunes’ beaches will ensure they remain intact for generations to come and significantly reduce costs of further delay or no action. This bill meets the moment provided by the State of Indiana which has already committed a million-dollar investment to help implement a sustainable, long-term solution to erosion that prioritizes national park resources and recreational uses along Lake Michigan’s coast.”
- Ensures the proposed New York and New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries plan will address multiple types of flooding that threatens communities and national parks like Gateway National Recreation Area and the Statue of Liberty.
“With record floods and more frequent and severe storms making roads impassable, trapping people in their homes and damaging Gateway’s diverse and sensitive shoreline, this bipartisan support from the New York-New Jersey delegation could not come soon enough, said Lauren Cosgrove, NPCA’s Northeast Campaign Director. “We are grateful for the opportunity to have multiple flooding concerns addressed, which will improve the quality of life for all that live and work here, and millions more that visit Gateway National Recreation Area’s trails, beaches and wildlife each year.”
Statement by Chad Lord, Senior Director of Environmental Policy and Climate Change for the National Parks Conservation Association:
“WRDA keeps the momentum going on park projects that cannot afford to wait. This law ensures that our one-of-a-kind national parks are ready for the millions of annual visitors that come from all around the world to boat, hike, and see stunning wildlife within their borders.
“The road to enacting this law has been a long one, but at every turn, NPCA pressed our elected leaders to include urgently needed park improvement projects in this bipartisan legislation. WRDA allows the Army Corps to better prepare our rivers and coasts from unavoidable flooding and storms. This includes building new and strengthening existing infrastructure to withstand climate change’s worst effects, making our coastline and beaches more resilient, and restoring wildlife habitat for endangered species like the Florida panther and piping plover. This bill will also improve water quality for drinking and outdoor recreation and provide protection for people and communities from New York City to South Florida from record flooding, sea level rise and devastating storm surges.”
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) 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.
