Editor's note: This updates with House passage of the bill, Senate action yet to come, reaction from National Park Foundation, National Parks Conservation Association, Western Slope No-Fee Coalition.
The House of Representatives moved quickly Tuesday to pass legislation designed to provide the National Park Service with badly needed funds to help the agency chip away at a staggering $12 billion maintenance backlog. However, without concurrence by the Senate by week's end, the measure could die.
As passed by the House, the National Park Service Centennial Act would increase the price of a lifetime pass for senior citizens 62 and older to $80 from its current $10 lifetime fee. Seniors who don't want to pay the $80 could purchase an annual pass for $20.
Park Service staff estimate that the increase in the cost of a senior pass would generate $20 million a year.
The legislation, drafted by U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, had bipartisan support in the House. It would deposit up to $10 million generated from all Park Service sales of America The Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes into a Second Century Endowment for the National Park Service to be managed by the National Park Foundation. Any revenues above $10 million would be deposited in a Centennial Challenge fund for projects in the parks. However, they would need to be matched by private dollars before they could be spent as the legislation is written.
A companion measure in the Senate differs slightly. It would require that any money deposited into the Second Century Endowment fund have a match of private dollars before it could be released to the Park Service.
The House version also calls for an annual appropriation of $5 million to the National Park Foundation for each of the 2017-2023 fiscal years for use as matching funds for contributions made to the foundation, while the Senate draft reportedly would provide $15 million.
Missing from the House bill was a request from Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Arizona, to amend the bill with a requirement that Congress appropriate an additional $300 million per year for fiscal years 2017, 2018, and 2019 to help the Park Service address its maintenance backlog, estimated at $12 billion.
The House measure was applauded by the National Parks Conservation Association as a "victory" for national parks, but officials at the advocacy group acknowledged greater funding must be found to make substantial inroads on the maintenance backlog.
"Would we have liked another source of funding? Sure," said Emily Douce, NPCA's associate director, budget and appropriations, during a phone call. "But in this Congress? And is the Congress going to get any better next session? No. But we've always been supportive of looking at increasing that senior pass. It's been set at $10 for the rest of their lives. And most people that we've spoken to are OK with that increase in the senior pass."
But Ms. Douce acknowledged that the increase in that pass will not be enough to greatly whittle away at the Park Service's backlog, even with matching funds.
"It's certainly not the silver bullet, and we are working with partners to look at the next Congress and beyond to figure out a solution on addressing that backlog. And we'll always continue to push for additional appropriated annual dollars for the national parks, in operations and construction. It's certainly not a done deal, and we will hold those members accountable."
At the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition, President Kitty Benzar was disappointed with the legislation.
"While there have been a multitude of bills introduced (and programs authorized) all of which were aimed at giving new groups free or reduced- cost access to the public lands - 4th Graders, military families, those with disabilities, volunteers - it is difficult to understand why Congress has taken this opportunity to reduce a long-standing benefit to seniors," she said. "It's a lump of coal for Christmas if you are a near-senior. Those who already are 62 or older should get their pass this week without delay, since their benefits are grandfathered- (and grandmothered-) in."
In his floor speech to promote passage of the bill, Rep. Bishop said, "(The Park Service has] some significant problems, namely a $12 billion backlog in their maintenance issues. It is fun to create a new national park; it is not sexy to talk about fixing a sewer system. So that requires us to be a little bit more creative than we have been in the past and to provide new tools so the Park Service can meet this challenge that they have.”
Also pleased with the bill was Will Shafroth, president and chief executive officer of the National Park Foundation.
"This important legislation will provide greater funding for our national parks and enhance our organization's ability to further leverage philanthropic support for these incredible places in their second century. We thank House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva for their leadership to ensure passage of H.R. 4680," said Mr. Shafroth.
To demonstrate the power of matching dollars called for in the legislation, NPCA staff pointed to the following examples of past projects accomplishded through the Centennial Challenge program:
- Yosemite National Park (California): Improved hydrology related to roads and trails to benefit the giant sequoias; reconfigured the Mariposa Grove Road near the south entrance to enhance safety and traffic flow; added over 20 new accessible parking spaces; provided two miles of new pedestrian trails; and restored nearly four acres of giant sequoias and wetland habitat. Total cost: $5.1 million; partner (The Yosemite Conservancy) match: 80 percent.
- Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho): Helped restore and enhance the original and only year-round entrance to the world’s first national park by improving walkways, reducing traffic congestion and updating signage. Total cost: $2 million; partner (Yellowstone Park Foundation) match: 75 percent.
- Boston National Historical Park (Massachusetts): Completed critically-needed restoration of wooden cupola section of the Old State House, replaced outdated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, and provided handicap accessibility to the building. Total cost: $1.4 million; partner (Bostonian Society) match: 50 percent.
Comments
Does anyone know where the proposed extra $70 per pass will actually go? Glacier91 says that 80% of the fee dollars collected at the park entrance goes to the park and 20% goes into the government general treasury fund. But are the passes considered "entrance fees" even when they are purchased at a park entrance? What about those that are purchased online or at local offices?
I've read many, many articles about the deplorable, run down state of our parks due to the billions of dollars in deferred maintenance but none of those articles have said a word about money people assume is going to the parks (entrance fees) when it is actually going to the government general treasury fund. It makes me wonder how much money that appears to be going to the NPS is, in fact, going into the great bottomless pit of the general fund. Why isn't it public knowledge how many of the dollars paid into or raised for the NPS actually goes directly to the federal government?
You ask an intriguing question, No Pass Yet. Here's how the Centennial Act describes distribution of the extra $70 above the current $10 per pass fee:
But, as you note, entrance fees typically are divided between the collecting park (80%) and for distribution to parks that don't collect fees (20%). What is unclear, and what we're trying to get an answer to, is how senior pass sales at a park would be treated. Would the park still retain 80%, and so just $16 per pass sold would go to the endowment fund? Or would the entire $70 go to the fund?
We'll let you know what we find out.
Interesting post Dr. Runte. The privatization folks should get their wish, our President elect and his cabinet choices represent the "trickle down" economic ideology (neo-liberalism), beginning with President Reagan and followed more or less by each administration since, to a "T". Enabled considerably by the Citizens United decision as well as gutting of article 5 of the voting rights act, the corporate oligarchy we are now politically governed by should be in firm control. As I still have the opportunity to work as an emergency hire in one of our nation's iconic parks, I do agree that the escalation in visitation in some, if not most areas, is a huge workload on park personnel. However, I witness on a daily basis, employees from all park disciplines working very hard to ensure park resources are protected. My hat is off to all of them.
Glacier, I know that Huffy understands the situation better than most people. I was merely warning him to be ready to be blasted by those who believe the NPS can do no good.
Dr. Runte and Ron pose some interesting issues. Another consideration is who will have final approval over appointment of the next NPS director. Will it be Congress or the Kremlin?
We are sailing into uncharted waters.
Ok Lee - your really think those are equally possible outcomes? Lets do a friendly wager, you name the bet. I'll take Congress you take the Kremlin. Let's see if you will back your absurd rhetoric with your wallet.
Nowhere does it note that there is only a percentage of funds collected that go to the Park Service. The America the Beautiful passess provide access to all federal lands with entrance fees and/or 50% off camping. Unless this pass is only for NPS, and therefore would decrease the actual number of folks purchasing it, the funds collected would still have to support the BLM, USFS and CORP or these agencies would no longer participate in the discounts provided.