Sens. Mark Warner of Virginia and Rob Portman of Ohio on Tuesday introduced legislation aimed at eliminating the National Park System's roughly $12 billion maintenance backlog/Pew Charitable Trusts

A bipartisan effort was launched in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday to slowly but steadily wipe out the National Park Service's maintenance backlog, currently estimated at roughly $12 billion.

Through their National Park Service Legacy Act, Sens. Mark R. Warner, D-Virginia, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, call for Congress to make annual appropriations aimed specifically at reducing, and eventually eliminating, the backlog. If passed by Congress and signed by the president, the legislation would budget $50 million in annual appropriations for fiscal years 2018-2020; $150 million for fiscal years 2021-2023; $250 million for fiscal years 2024-2026, and; $500 million for fiscal years 2027-2047.

The senators would fund the appropriations via revenues the government receives for oil and natural gas royalties.

“More than 100 years after the founding of the National Park Service, our park system remains in a critical state of disrepair. In fact, Virginia ranks 5th in the list of states with the greatest need for maintenance, with a backlog of more than $800 million,” said Sen. Warner. “While we’ve heard much talk here in Washington about infrastructure spending, a great way to begin this work is by helping in the revitalization of our public lands and the repair of critical roads and bridges, an investment which can generate $10 in economic activity for every public dollar invested. Our bipartisan legislation provides this needed investment by helping ensure that these historically diverse assets are preserved for future generations to enjoy. It also makes needed investments in NPS infrastructure, roads and bridges, like the Arlington Memorial Bridge, many of which are badly in need of repair.”

The maintenance backlogs didn't arrive overnight. When George W. Bush was running for president, the maintenance backlog was estimated to be around $5 billion, and he pledged to erase it with five years. That, of course, didn't happen, and the cost of eliminating the backlog today is estimated at just about $12 billion. Roughly half of that total is for road and bridge repairs.

Last week a Senate committee held a hearing to raise the issue of the backlog and explore possible solutions. Among the suggestions were calls for Congress to better fund the Park Service.

The backlog stretches throughout the National Park System, and includes shabby buildings, poorly functioning restrooms, weary trails and campgrounds, broken water lines and decrepit sewer systems. The Park Service long has struggled to maintain its more than 75,000 assets across the country. Of these, 41,000 are in need of repairs, according to the senators.

Over the past decade, Congressional financial support for park maintenance has decreased by 40 percent, they pointed out in a release, and the last time Congress directly addressed the park system's infrastructure needs was in 1956 via the Mission 66 program. 

As drafted, the legislation calls for 80 percent of the funds in the National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund to be "dedicated for the repair and rehabilitation of key assets, including historic structures, visitor facilities, water utility systems, disability access, health and safety, and recreation. Twenty percent of funds will be allocated to roads, bridges, and other transportation-related projects. Amounts from the fund will not be used for land acquisition or used in lieu of funding made available for recurring facility operations and maintenance needs of the Park Service."

The proposal also encourages public-private partnerships to help reduce overall deferred maintenance costs by allowing the Secretary of the Interior and Park Service director to accept qualified private donations.

“Thanks to Senators Warner and Portman, we have a bill to address desperately needed repair projects in national parks from Yellowstone to Shenandoah to Cuyahoga Valley. The $12 billion maintenance backlog is an ever-growing challenge for our national parks, which welcomed a record-breaking 331 million visitors last year. This proposal will put our national parks on the right track. By investing in our national parks, we will not only start to tackle this backlog, but we will make our parks more resilient and prepared to continue welcoming visitors eager to explore our nation’s most important natural and historic places. Last year, the National Park Service celebrated its centennial. We can think of no better way for Congress to help our parks as they begin their second century than to approve this legislation,” said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association.

“National parks continue to be our common ground. Senators Warner and Portman demonstrated leadership and foresight today by introducing legislation to ensure that our nation’s most significant historical and natural resources will be protected and that communities dependent on park tourism will continue to flourish,” said Marcia Argust, director of Pew Charitable Trusts’ Restore America’s Parks project. “This year, the National Park Service entered its second century with a backlog of repairs approaching nearly $12 billion. Work is needed to improve visitor access and safety, preserve the parks’ natural and cultural resources, and support local economies—which benefited from nearly $17 billion in park visitor spending in 2015.

“If adopted, this legislation would provide a set amount of money each year to repair decaying historic buildings; deteriorating memorials; impassible trails; outdated water, electrical and sewer systems; and crumbling roads," she said.