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Lawmakers reintroduce legislation to fund National Parks maintenance

There is a $12 billion maintenance backlog at the National Park Service. Sen. Warner, along with other lawmakers, reintroduced a bill to address the concerns.

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, including Senator Mark Warner, reintroduced legislation to address the $12 billion National Parks Service maintenance backlog.

The backlog has caused a delay in the upkeep of visitor centers, rest stops, trails, campgrounds, and transportation infrastructure operated by National Parks Service in the Commonwealth and across the country.

The bill, Restore Our Parks Act, would take existing government revenue and allocate it to the underfunded National Park Service. This funding would come from 50 percent of all revenues that are not otherwise allocated and deposited into the General Treasury not to exceed $1.3 billion each year for the next five years.

The bill was passed by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources last year. A similar bill was also reintroduced in the House.

“The deferred maintenance backlog at national park sites in Virginia is currently over a billion dollars. The Commonwealth trails only California and the District of Columbia in total deferred maintenance needs. Colonial National Historical Park, which is home to Historic Jamestown and Yorktown Battlefield, has over $400 million in deferred maintenance needs alone,” said Sen. Warner. “We owe it to our Commonwealth and to our country to pass this bill and clear the $12 billion maintenance backlog that is holding back essential repairs and renovations at our cherished national parks. This problem will only worsen if we fail to act.”

In Virginia, National Parks host over 25 million visitors. Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown is more than $420 million behind schedule on maintenance needs.

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