Bills To Address $12 Billion National Parks Maintenance Backlog Sit Idle

Above, a view of the Grand Tetons. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Bills to finally address the $12 billion backlog in repairs and maintenance of our national parks are sitting idle in the House and Senate.

In the Senate, the Restore Out Parks legislation is stuck in committee and in the House, the bill is waiting for the "leadership" to schedule a vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is more interested in the phony baloney impeachment of President Trump to do actual work.

UPI reported:

DENVER, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Momentum in Congress has sputtered for bills that would help the U.S. National Park Service finance a $12 billion backlog in maintenance needs. 

Despite of wide bipartisan support, the Restore Our Parks legislation that would send $6.5 billion over five years to improve park infrastructure is lingering in legislative limbo. The money would come from offshore and onshore royalty revenues for oil and gas on public lands.

"This legislation represents one of the most significant investments in the 100-year history of the Park Service," co-lead author Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said in an email. "The longer we kick the can on the deferred maintenance backlog, the more we'll hold back communities that rely on visitors to help generate economic activity." 

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., urged the Senate on Tuesday to "make sure [the bill] gets out of committee," and said lawmakers should not "miss this opportunity" to consider the bill on the Senate floor.

The National Park Service has reached an infrastructure funding crisis that encompasses 419 sites for projects such as roads, bridge and and wall repairs, water sanitation upgrades, and replacing or fixing visitors centers. 

The House bill, with 329 Democrat and Republican co-sponsors, sailed through multiple committees and is awaiting leadership to schedule a vote, said Marcia Argust, the Pew Charitable Trust's project director of the Restore America's Parks.

To read more, go here.