The National Park Service announced Thursday that the number of visits to all the national parks in 2017—330,882,751– was almost identical to the record-setting 330,971,689 recreation visits in 2016. While the numbers were steady, officials said visitors spent more time in the parks during their 2017 visits compared to 2016. Increased attendance at parks, 1.5 billion visits in the last five years, also means aging park facilities are incurring further wear and tear. Managing editor Tami Roleff delves into the details of funding for the parks…
The Trump Administration has proposed legislation to establish a Public Lands Infrastructure Fund that would help address the $11.6 billion maintenance backlog in the National Park System. The fund would take new revenue from federal fees and royalties for leasing and developing gas, oil, and solar energy development to help pay for repairs and improvements in national parks, national wildlife refuges and Bureau of Indian Education funded schools. However, the Fund also gives federal agencies the authority to sell off public assets if the “sale would “optimize the taxpayer value for Federal assets.” In addition, the Department of the Interior’s budget has been severely slashed and could result in the loss of 1200 park jobs. Congress rarely passes budgets presented by the president, but the president’s budget is more of a policy blueprint.
