Rocky Mountain National Park alone faces $62 million in needed backlog repairs. Photo Credit: NPS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Public Lands Alliance (PLA) applauds Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Mark Warner (D-VA) for introducing the National Park Service Legacy Act of 2017 today.
This bipartisan legislation seeks to remedy the $12 billion maintenance backlog at the National Park Service (NPS), including crumbling visitor centers, trails and historic structures. Below is a statement by Dan Puskar, executive director of PLA:
"America's national parks are home to spectacular sights, ecologically important habitats, sacred cultural lands and the places where history happened. By building on the success of last year's National Park Service Centennial Act, Senators Portman and Warner have introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure that these treasured landscapes are well-preserved and accessible for our citizens today and for future generations. The potential impact of the NPS Legacy Act on park infrastructure would be nothing short of transformative. Our children and grandchildren deserve no less.
"While targeting the highest priority projects throughout the NPS, the NPS Legacy Act creates an important role for park partners and supporters. As the only national organization created by and for the nonprofit partners of America's parks and public lands, PLA strongly endorses the legislation's commitment to leverage public and private funds to restore visitor resources and facilities."