NPCA Commends Vital Funding for National Parks Facing Back-to-Back Disasters

WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Congress introduced a bill extending federal funding until March 14 and providing long-awaited disaster relief for communities and national parks. The bill invests $2.3 billion in the National Park Service to address damage to numerous parks from disasters over the last year and a half. During this time, parks including Acadia, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Desoto National Memorial faced damage from hurricanes, floods and other disasters that shuttered facilities and services. If passed, the bill will fund repairs for badly damaged infrastructure at more than a dozen national park sites and support local economies that rely on them to the tune of $26 billion in annual visitor spending. With parks already dangerously underfunded, Congress must pass this bill to meet the urgency of these intensifying disasters’ effect on national parks, America’s most beloved and unifying places.

“The funding in this bill is absolutely critical to repair national parks that have witnessed damage and destruction over the last year and a half. We applaud the bipartisan Congressional champions who worked tirelessly to secure this relief for parks to recover from floods, hurricanes and storms that have devastated communities and park ecosystems. NPCA and national park advocates across the country sounded the alarm, and Congress delivered,” said John Garder, Senior Director of Budget & Appropriations at the National Parks Conservation Association. “National parks are unparalleled in preserving our natural and historic heritage while also serving as economic lifelines for some of America’s most beloved places, from Olympic National Park to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We call on Congress to move this bill forward so that our parks can finally begin to recover, and communities can focus on rebuilding quickly and reopening local businesses that rely on our public lands.“

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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.