Today the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing to examine the mismanagement of National Parks and resulting barriers to access. Subcommittee Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) issued the following statement in response:

"My great state of Arizona is home to many of our nation’s national parks. Unfortunately, mismanagement by the National Parks Service has become a pressing concern, as it jeopardizes the beauty and sustainability of our parks. The federal government’s cumbersome bureaucratic and slow-decision making process continues to hinder the effective management of national parks while leaving surrounding communities and park-goers disconnected from the natural and cultural benefits associated with these invaluable treasures. Over the years, Congress has made historic investments the NPS, yet the agency continues to be plagued by numerous issues. The NPS must do better to manage our national parks, and today’s hearing begins the process of improving the experience for the millions who visit our parks each year."

Background

The National Park Service (NPS) continues to grapple with a number of challenges across the National Park System. These challenges include crumbling infrastructure and growing maintenance backlogs, unhealthy, overgrown forests that contribute to our nation’s wildfire crisis and diminished access and opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Mismanagement of America’s National Park System harms the economies of rural and gateway communities, restricts access and recreational opportunities, and prohibits desperately needed management of our overgrown, diseased and dying public lands. 

Despite historic levels of investment in the National Park Service by Congress, the NPS has failed to reduce its deferred maintenance (DM) backlog and develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent the DM backlog from continuing to increase. After a congressional investment of $6.5 billion to address the problem, the $12.7 billion backlog has ballooned to $22.3 billion. 

Today's hearing was an opportunity for committee members to ask the NPS to answer directly for these failures and address their concerns. For more information, click here.