Statement by Laura Loomis, National Parks Conservation Association's Deputy Vice President of Government Affairs
WASHINGTON – Today, Senators Inhofe, Boxer, Vitter, and Carper introduced legislation to reauthorize the Highway Trust Fund for six years, titled the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act.
“Repairs at the Arlington Memorial Bridge, still partially closed due to structural corrosion and with newly imposed weight restrictions, will cost the National Park Service upwards of $244 million. The price to address the dangerous sections of roadways along the Yellowstone Loop Road is already estimated at $1.25 billion. The $20 million at Gettysburg National Military Park and $120 million at Grand Canyon National Park worth of overdue roadway projects contribute to more than $6 billion worth of backlogged transportation needs across all national parks. While the DRIVE Act does not increase the annual funding guarantee for National Park Service transportation projects, it does authorize a potentially significant increase of more than $1 billion for federal lands roadway projects over six years which will begin to address the monumental challenge of fixing, maintaining, and enhancing our national parks.“
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About the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):
Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice for our national parks. NPCA and its more than one million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
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