WASHINGTON, DC (WAVY) – U.S. senators including Mark Warner (D-VA) announced on Thursday that a new study of their Restore Our Parks legislation will support more than 100,000 jobs over the next five years to help address more than $12 billion in maintenance projects at the National Parks Service.
The Senate is set to consider S. 3422, the Great American Outdoors Act next week to address the deferred maintenance backlog across the federal land management agencies and to provide permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The Great American Outdoors Act includes the Restore Our Parks legislation. It is projected to provide up to $6.5 billion over five years to address delayed repairs to infrastructure and assets needs in the country’s national parks.
“For years, Congress has critically underfunded our national parks resulting in the buildup of $12 billion in deferred maintenance costs. Despite receiving more than 318 million visitors annually, our national parks have been unable to maintain upkeep and repairs on visitor centers, rest stops, trails, campgrounds, and transportation infrastructure operated by the Park Service,” said Warner.
Warner said in Virginia national parks support more than 16,000 jobs and contribute $953 million dollars in value-added to the economy. This comes after the country is dealing with mass numbers of unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The senators said the legislation will help support communities across the country that rely on the economic activity generated by our national parks.
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