House Approves Increase in National Park Funding

Washington, DC - "The fiscal year 2002 Interior and Related Agencies appropriations bill approved today by the House marks a modest but important step forward for national park funding," said National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) President Thomas Kiernan. "A strong financial commitment by both Congress and the Bush Administration is desperately needed to protect national park resources."

The House version of the 2002 Interior Appropriations Bill includes $1.48 billion for the Park Service's operations budget—a $94-million increase above current spending levels—and provides funding for the National Park Service's Natural Resource Challenge and the Save America's Treasures program, both of which preserve park resources. The House bill also supports the Business Plan Initiative, an innovative partnership between NPCA, the National Park Service, and the nation's leading graduate schools that develops individual park business plans to determine funding needs. Plans have been completed in more than two dozen parks to date.

NPCA's April 2001 statement regarding the National Park Service budget before the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies is available online.