By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Recognizing that U.S. National Parks are in need of an injection of cash to handle deferred maintenance backlogs, it was of interest that Ryan Zinke, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, appeared before the press to announce funding to help cover the backlogs.Â
Zinke made the reveal July 22, using Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park as a backdrop. A total of $53 million is headed out to 29 states, to handle needs in 42 of America’s parks. Of the funds, $20 million will be taxpayer provided by Congressional allocation. The balance of $33 million will be made by contributions from non-governmental organizations. The money will make improvements to trails, enhance visitor access, and help restore park buildings.Â
By comparison, the most recent U.S. National Park Service-provided statistics (September 2016) show the real needs of the nation’s natural gems:
Total deferred maintenance for parks: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $11.331 Billion
Allocated as follows:
Paved roads and structures: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $5.668 Billion
(bridges, tunnels, paved parking areas, paved roadways)
All other facilities: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $5.663 Billion
(campgrounds, buildings, housing, trails, waste and water systems, unpaved roads and parking areas, dams, and more)Â
The current White House budget proposal would cut $400 million from the National Park Service for fiscal year 2018.Â
##RVT804
As a proponent of MBWA (Management By Walking Around) I say executives need to get out of the office and see what is happening at the working level, so the trip is worth the cost. Even better is to do it “Undercover Boss” style so the opinions are unfiltered. And then act on the information to improve things (for everyone, not just the few who get to tell their own stories.)
That is a small amount for our treasures! We the People of the United States, Inc., is a new 501(C)(3) public charity set up to do more for our National Parks with the help of the people and business. Please check out our website; http://www.rebuildnationalparks.orq .
Sounds interesting but the link didn’t work for me.
Found the correct link. https://rebuildnationalparks.org/
Why do we need yet another “non-profit” (usually with lots of expenses and admin costs) for the national parks. Isn’t that what NPCA (National Park conservation association https://npca.org ) has been doing for, oh, about 100 years?
If we want to save our parks we need to throw out the scumbags in Congress that want to either sell them off or turn them into oil fields. This Zinka pledge is an embarrassment, like Trump’s donation of his quarterly salary to the Dept. of Education. It was about 2% of what his weekly trips to El Margo cost, and insignificant relative to the budget cuts he’s proposed.
Let’s not swallow the kool-aid.
Amen brother, enough smoke and mirrors from those that would “privatize ” our national treasures.
Really. Why is it that a very noble act, by a non- politician always seems bad to certain individuals. So, donating 1/4 of the salary to the NPS was somehow missed.
Economics 101 dictates; fact, nat’l debt doubled under previous administration. fact; debt increase more than ALL previous deficit spending back to G. Washington combined. Outcome; pending disaster, unless the politicians, get onboard with the non-politician.
Reply coming; blah, blah, blah.
Solution; get your checkbook out and send a few bucks to the NPS to help Make America Great Again.
I wonder how much it cost us to send Zinke to Colorado for that announcement, which could easily have been made by a phone call from his office or presented at the daily White House press briefing?