Capito Announces Additional Support for Legislation to Help Preserve National Parks

Press Release

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.)--along with a bipartisan, bicameral group of senators--announced support from outdoor and recreation organizations for legislation they introduced on March 7, the National Park Restoration Act. The legislation will help restore and rebuild our national parks by helping to pay for the $11 billion national parks maintenance backlog--which includes buildings, campgrounds, trails, and water systems.

Led by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Senator Capito and other co-sponsors have been working with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on the legislation, which will help restore and rebuild the country's national parks for the next generation of visitors. Senator Capito participated in a press conference with the secretary last month to announce introduction of the bill.

The National Park Restoration Act:

Creates the National Park Restoration Fund to provide mandatory funding for the high-priority deferred maintenance needs that support critical infrastructure and visitor services at our national parks.

Provides mandatory funding for the maintenance backlog on top of annual appropriations for operations and construction at the National Park Service.

The fund receives 50 percent of onshore and offshore revenues from energy production on federal lands over expected amounts that are not already allocated to other purposes.

Protects payments to states, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Reclamation Fund, and all other existing uses of onshore and offshore revenues. These existing uses will receive all of their funding before the National Park Restoration Fund receives any funding.

The backlog of infrastructure projects at our national parks can limit access and impair visitor experiences and recreation opportunities, and without additional funding, the backlog could continue to grow. The National Park Service (NPS) maintenance backlog is nearly four times what NPS receives in annual appropriations. In FY2017 the NPS' deferred maintenance needs were $11.6 billion. That same fiscal year, NPS received $2.9 million in annual appropriations.

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