National Parks Conservation Association Responds to Congressman Issa Accusations

Statement by the National Parks Conservation Association

Congressman Issa is perpetuating unfounded claims that do little to advance the important agenda of creating jobs in this uncertain economy—something an investment in our national parks would do.

National parks are national treasures in 49 states, visited by nearly 300 million people annually and benefiting rural and urban communities nationwide. These long-neglected icons of our natural and cultural heritage may finally receive a measured investment, with bipartisan support, toward a massive, $9-billion backlog of critical infrastructure repairs.

Rather than support the more than $2 billion worth of job-creating infrastructure investments that the National Park Service says it can invest during the course of the stimulus—just one quarter of its needs— Congressman Issa has instead chosen to recycle libelous claims, which are flat-out wrong.

Contrary to accusations from Congressman Issa, the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) will not receive, nor have we sought to receive financial benefit from any stimulus appropriation for the National Park Service or for the National Park Centennial Challenge—a matching-grant public-private partnership program that doubles the government’s investment.

While our publicly-filed disclosure forms cited by the congressman indicate that NPCA advocates for adequate federal funding and protection of our national treasures, as we have for 89 years, NPCA Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Craig Obey does not lobby House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey or his office staff.

There is no place for these offensive attacks when the future of our national parks and our economy is at stake. 

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