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June/July 2005
Bi-partisan Legislators Propose Bill to Help Address Park Funding Needs
A major focus of the National Parks Conservation Association’s work is to ensure that the National Park Service receives sufficient annual
funding to provide a quality visitor experience while also adequately managing and protecting our nation’s natural and cultural heritage. In addition, we seek to eliminate the multi-billion-dollar backlog of
neglected maintenance projects that has resulted from underfunding in current and prior years.
This past March, innovative legislation was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives that, if passed, would help address many park-funding
woes. The bill, the National Park Centennial Act (H.R. 1124), would provide funding to help address the parks’ backlog of maintenance projects as well as natural and cultural resource preservation projects
through 2016—the NPS’s 100th birthday. The legislation would provide new funding for the parks from the general treasury and from a voluntary check-off on federal tax returns.
As of May 9, 41 representatives (17 Republicans and 24 Democrats) had signed on as co-sponsors. The Town of Yucca Valley as well as the Twentynine Palms, Joshua Tree, and Yucca Valley chambers of commerce have passed resolutions endorsing the Centennial Act.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein demonstrated important leadership on April 21 when, along with four Senate colleagues, she co-sponsored
introduction of the National Park Centennial Act into the Senate.
“National parks are the jewels of the American frontier,” Feinstein noted. “Yet, too often there isn’t sufficient funding to adequately maintain
and preserve these parks…. It is my hope that Congress will pass this legislation soon.”
NPCA applauds Sen. Feinstein for continued leadership on behalf of America’s national parks. Her support of this legislation and involvement in
the appropriations process are critical to restoring the health of our national parks.
New Report Cites 10 Reasons to Reinvest in National Parks
A new report released by NPCA says America’s national parks need immediate reinvestment and lists the top 10 reasons parks need more money, including
the need to stop poaching and protect natural and cultural treasures, restore dilapidated buildings, and repair roads and trails. The report was released concurrently with the introduction of the National Park
Centennial Act in March.
NPCA’s report, Faded Glory: Top 10 Reasons to Reinvest in America’s National Park Heritage, is available online at
www.npca.org/report/investinparks.asp.
A hard copy can be obtained at NPCA’s Joshua Tree office. California’s desert parks—Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and the Mojave National Preserve—are well represented in the NPCA report.
According to the report, illegal activities in the parks such as dumping of hazardous materials, off-road vehicles usage, illicit drug labs, and
violent crimes go unaddressed and harm our desert heritage because of too few rangers.
California desert parks also need more funds to control invasive species and restore damaged habitats. Aquifers underlying desert parks—critical to spring flows and vegetation needed by wildlife—are threatened by explosive growth in southern Nevada and California, yet the parks lack funds to adequately characterize and protect water resources.
While the President Bush’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2006 recognizes the need to focus attention on operating the 388 units of the National Park
System and budgeting for uncontrolled costs, it is insufficient to chip away at the parks’ $600-million+ annual operating shortfall. Congress began holding hearings in March about the adequacy of the budgets
of agencies within the Department of Interior, including the NPS.
Desert Leaders Support NPS Budget Increases
In April, NPCA delivered to Rep. Jerry Lewis, Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, and Sen. Feinstein letters signed by 75 desert businesses, organizations,
chambers of commerce, and other community leaders. The letters thanked these members of Congress for their efforts to help the desert region, discussed the impacts of underfunding on our desert parks, and
asked them to work for an increase in the 2006 NPS operations budget of $100 million above what is proposed in the President’s budget. Elsewhere in California, over 100 other business and community leaders
signed on to similar letters.
Desert Residents Trek to D.C. on Behalf of Desert Parks
In May, Paul Smith (Twentynine Palms) and Bob Maling (Joshua Tree) ventured to Washington, D.C., to participate in a national parks lobby week effort organized by NPCA.
Paul and Bob joined 12 other leaders from national park gateway communities in California, Montana, Tennessee, and Washington State. They met with members of Congress and their staff to discuss the importance of national parks to their communities, families, and businesses. They also expressed their concern about the parks’ reduced spending power and dwindling staff. NPCA is grateful for Paul’s and Bob’s commitment of time and personal resources to work with Congress and ensure that our national parks are a legacy that we can pass along to future generations. -
NPCA’s California Desert Field Office is located at 61325 29 Palms Hwy., Suite B, Joshua Tree, CA 92252. 760-366-3035.
Volunteers are welcome and needed to help in NPCA’s efforts to protect our desert parks.
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