Biden’s Proposes $3.8B Budget for National Park Service

WASHINGTON — The Biden-Harris administration Thursday (March 9) released President Biden’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2024. The $3.8 billion budget request for the National Park Service (NPS) prioritizes advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities, tackling the climate crisis in the National Park System, conserving our natural resources, and using science to inform decisions, according to an NPS release.

“The President’s request proposes investments essential for the NPS’s continued success in its second century, while remaining committed to the daily mission of ensuring that all Americans can access, enjoy, and learn in every national park,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams. “This budget supports and strengthens our commitment to the public, from supporting new parks to connecting with communities and Tribes to improving in park and digital experiences for visitors.”

The NPS not only serves a vital role safeguarding irreplaceable natural wonders and connecting Americans to our past and each other, but is also a critical driver of economic activity for small businesses and communities across the nation. For every $1 Congress invests in national parks, visitor spending returns over $10 to the U.S. economy.

The FY 2024 budget request for National Park Service will make critical investments in:

Conservation

The FY 2024 budget addresses critical challenges of our time to preserve our lands and waters for future generations to use and enjoy. Increasing operational budgets will improve boots on the ground capacity for science and natural resource management activities and help protect the nation’s treasures from 21^st century threats like climate change.

Key conservation investments include:

• Expanding youth corps programs that create enriching jobs for young people
• Supporting scientific and research collaboration through Research Learning Centers
• Creating permanent capacity to respond to and recover from natural disasters
• Assessing climate change vulnerabilities so parks and infrastructure can adapt
• Investing in charging equipment and infrastructure for zero emission vehicles

Racial Justice and Equity

• Fund initial costs for parks recently added to the National Park System (Blackwell School, New Philadelphia, and Brown v. Board expansion) and ensure funding is available to more rapidly start-up new parks that may be designated
• Better serve Tribal Nations and Indigenous people by hiring Tribal liaisons and subsistence managers, supporting Tribal co-stewardship efforts, and funding the Tribal heritage grant program
• Support implementation of the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act
• Help preserve the stories of the cultures and history across America through the Japanese American World War II History Network and the United States African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program
• Address transportation barriers from underserved communities to national parks as part of efforts to expand national parks visitation to all communities

• Funding facility operation and maintenance personnel to care for the Denali Park Road, ensuring people can continue to access the park into the future
• Establishing a law enforcement ranger program at Fort Smith National Historic Site
• Enhancing visitor services and education programs
• Meeting increased printing costs for park maps and information resources
• Continuing efforts to enhance digital tools that better serve visitors by reducing congestion and improving customer experience
• Investing in IT modernization needs
• Supporting visitor services for America’s 250th commemoration

• $3.2 billion, representing a $266.3 million increase from the FY 2023 enacted budget:
  • $983.0 million for facility operations and maintenance
  • $697.3 million for park support
  • $509.6 million for resource stewardship
  • $457.7 million for park protection
  • $300.3 million for visitor services
  • $241.8 million for external administrative costs

•  $15 million, which maintains this funding at the FY 2023 enacted level

•  $95.2 million, representing a 2.7 million increase from the FY 2023 enacted budget

• $177.9 million, representing a $26.6 million reduction from FY 2023 due to the removal of congressionally directed funding provided in 2023:
  • $62.2 million for grants to State Historic Preservation Offices
  • $30.3 million for competitive grants to preserve historic sites that tell the story of the struggle for African American civil rights and equal rights in America
  • $26.5 million for Save America’s Treasures grants to support preservation of nationally significant sites and collections
  • $23 million to Tribal Historic Preservation Offices
  • $12.5 million for Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants for historic preservation projects that stimulate economic growth in rural areas
  • $11 million for grants-in-aid to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to support preservation of historic structures on HBCU campuses
  • $10 million for Semiquincentennial Preservation Grants to support restoration and preservation of sites that commemorate the founding of the nation
  • $2.5 million for Tribal Heritage Grants

• $286.6 million, which is a $46.8 million increase from FY 2023 enacted:
  • $127.8 million for line-item construction
  • $18.3 million for field communications modernization
  • $15.9 million for zero emission vehicle deployment, charging capacity, and related infrastructure
  • $14.9 million to improve and expand NPS employee housing
  • $7 million to address transportation barriers to parks from underserved communities
  • $4.1 million for climate vulnerability studies
  • $4 million for remediation of abandoned mineral lands

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/bidens-proposes-3-8b-budget-for-national-park-service/