The backlog in maintenance across the National Park System is approaching $11.5 billion and touches many areas of the visitor experience, from campgrounds and trails to visitor centers and roads and bridges, according to the National Park Service.
"Aging facilities, increasing use of park facilities and scarce resources contribute to the growing backlog," the agency announced Monday.
Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said the bureau’s FY2016 budget request before Congress includes a major effort to reduce the maintenance backlog in time for the National Park Service’s centennial in 2016.
“If funded, the National Park Service’s 2016 budget request will allow us to restore our highest priority non-transportation assets to good condition,” Director Jarvis said in a prepared statement. “As we invite more Americans to discover the special places in the National Park System during our centennial celebration, we need to have facilities that can accommodate them and provide the best possible visitor experience.”
Park roads and bridges account for about half of the maintenance backlog, according to the agency. The Park Service receives some funding for these projects through the Lands Transportation Program in the surface transportation bill. Those funds are set to expire in May.
President Obama’s proposal for the transportation bill, now under consideration in Congress, includes $150 million in new funding for nationally significant projects, the Park Service said. The money would be awarded competitively for major transportation projects on federal and tribal lands.
“President Obama’s proposal for these major projects could address some of the National Park Service’s large, and critical, deferred transportation projects,” said Director Jarvis. “Completing those projects would pave the way for many of the hundreds of millions of visitors that come to national parks each year.”
The National Park Service’s budget request for non-transportation assets includes an increase of $242.8 million across operations and construction accounts, in combination with a mandatory proposal to provide $300 million annually over three years, to restore highest priority non-transportation assets to good condition over 10 years and to maintain that infrastructure in good condition.
Deferred maintenance figures by type, park and state are available at this website. A park-by-park list of maintenance needs can be found on this page.
For example, at Yosemite National Park the agency cites $44.6 million in critical building needs, $26.6 million in critical water system needs, and $2.8 million in critical trails maintenance. At Grand Canyon National Park, the agency cites $56.1 million in critical water system needs and nearly $11 million in trails needs.
At Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Park Service cites more than $5 million in critical trails work, at Glacier National Park there is more than $11 million in critical maintenance needs in the park's buildings, and at Golden Gate National Recreation Area the park needs more than $46 million worth of critical work in its buildings.
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And no doubt about it.
This is ALL the fault of that pesky Jon Jarvis and his compadres with white mustaches.
From the Salt Lake Tribune this morning. Be sure to read some of the comments from readers at the far bottom of the page.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/2324422-155/national-park-backlog-totals-1149...
NPT thank you for not just printing the AP article that so many other outlets did and state that the "National Parks suffer from $$ maintenance backlog and a visitor base that is elderly and mostly white". Divisive, racist, insulting, discriminatory.
Parks within the National Park System are here for current and future generations and lets not forget the past generations that protected them in the first place.
Congress is not totally to blame for lack of operational funds. Initiatives of the Administration also impact the ability of funds to actually reach the ground. Along with the staffing at the national and regional levels, dollars take a big hit within the agency before getting to the parks-you've covered that before.
Americans from all backgrounds, parties, and ethnicity love Americas parks. They are made relevant and welcoming by reaching out to everyone, and not constantly stating they are not diverse enough as far as employees, visitors, and legislative intent. America's politicians and special interest groups need to quit categorizing everyone into a particular group and address the values that are uniquely American. Asians, African-Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, "Whites" individuals do not all think, enjoy, value, and respect as one group! That itself is stereotyping.
Enjoy and support our parks everyone.
Interesting post loyalconserve. In my own opinion, the NPS maintenance backlog is just part of the nations failing infrastructure, it is a huge problem. This is not the site to get into the economic policies that most major political figures have bought into the last 40 years, but I agree, change is needed. Neo-liberalism simply does not work. In any case thanks, I might add that I do think we pricing many citizens out of the National Parks.
It worked thirty years ago. It has been rejected since and that is why we are where we are.
Wow, and you tea guys think we progressives drink kool-aid. Don't tell me - trickle-down is a compassionate and effective theory too, eh?
Worked very well thirty years ago. What has your socialism gotten you since?