Legislative Proposals to Address National Park Service Deferred Maintenance (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised July 16, 2020 |
| Report Number |
IF10987 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Laura B. Comay |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium Revised March 27, 2020 (3 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Revised Feb. 19, 2019 (2 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Sept. 28, 2018 (2 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
Congress has debated ways to address the National Park
Service’s (NPS’s) substantial backlog of deferred
maintenance—maintenance that was not performed as
scheduled or as needed. NPS’s maintenance backlog has
grown over the past two decades and is estimated for
FY2017 at $11.6 billion. Because unaddressed maintenance
needs may harm park resources, detract from visitors’
enjoyment of the parks, and pose safety threats, the backlog
has been an ongoing issue of concern for some Members of
Congress and other stakeholders. Legislative interest has
focused primarily on additional federal funding sources to
address the backlog, although some stakeholders have
suggested that the backlog could be meaningfully reduced
without major federal funding increases—for example, by
reprioritizing current uses of NPS discretionary
appropriations, improving the agency’s capital investment
strategies, or increasing the role of nonfederal partners in
park funding and management.
