NEWS RELEASE: The Great American Outdoors Act Will Ensure Vital Funding for National Park Resources and Repairs
The Great American Outdoors Act Will Ensure Vital Funding for National Park Resources and Repairs
The bill will support the National Park Service’s $12 billion backlog maintenance and fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund
WASHINGTON, D.C. May 11, 2020 – The Trust for the National Mall is pleased to join with hundreds of groups representing state and regional tourism, local businesses, veterans groups, engineering and planning firms, conservation organizations, and the outdoor recreation industry to call on Congress to pass the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422) to invest in critical repair needs of national parks and other public lands.
“These treasured places also tell the stories that define and unite us as a nation,” more than 850 signatories wrote in a letter to congressional leadership. “This bill is necessary to support the public lands we all rely upon by achieving the twin goals of protecting America’s special places and repairing deteriorating infrastructure…The Great American Outdoors Act will ensure that our parks and other public lands continue to preserve our nation’s heritage and recreation opportunities, and that local communities and economies in these areas will continue to flourish.”
"Our National parks and public lands are national treasures that give us a greater sense community as a nation." says Catherine Townsend, president and CEO of the Trust for the National Mall. “The deferred maintenance needs in our parks pose one of the greatest risks to the preservation of these historic cultural, and symbolic landscapes for future generations. The National Mall alone has over $600 million needed in backlog repairs – the largest amount of any national park in the country.”
The National Park Service’s total maintenance backlog is estimated at nearly $12 billion, with over 75 percent attributed to priority needs. The bipartisan Restore Our Parks efforts in Congress would direct non-taxpayer monies over a five year period to tackle the most critical repairs within parks and other public lands agencies.
“Lawmakers can make a difference in improving and preserving the conditions of the National Mall and national parks which are the pride and joy of millions of Americans,” says John “Chip” Akridge, III, founder and chairman of the Trust for the National Mall. “This is an investment that ensures the National Park System has adequate resources to address the immediate repairs of infrastructure on park sites, to sustain annual recreational opportunities, and to preserve water quality and quantity for visitors of every national park, including America’s Frontyard.”
###
ABOUT THE RESTORE OUR PARKS EFFORT
The Restore Our Parks effort is supported by an informal coalition of national, state, and local organizations seeking to protect national park and public land resources by addressing the maintenance backlog. More than 3,000 national, state, and local organizations—elected officials, businesses, preservation advocates, contractors, engineer and design firms, conservation groups, tourism and marketing, the hotel and lodging industry, outdoor recreation interests—support dedicated resources for National Park Service deferred maintenance needs; and 82 percent of American voters support legislation to invest in park repairs.
For more information, visit https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/restore-americas-parks
ABOUT THE TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL
The Trust for the National Mall is the leading nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, dedicated to enriching the visitor's experience and preserving the historic legacy of the National Mall, home to the history, heroes and hope of America. With 36 million annual visits, the National Mall is one of the most visited parks in the world. With increasing visitors and aging infrastructure, over $600 million is needed in backlog repairs – the largest amount of any national park in the country – and over $200 million in modernized upgrades. Recognizing that Congress cannot alone adequately support the needed improvements to our beloved national treasure, the Trust is dedicated to raising the necessary funds and awareness to accelerate modern and resilient solutions. More information about the Trust and its projects, please visit www.nationalmall.org.