GW: Ambitious to say the least. Just wish we really had the money.
Approved projects will repair and rehabilitate aging National Park Service infrastructure
WASHINGTON— Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced more than $256 million in approved funding to rebuild critical national park infrastructure. The list includes projects like the repair of the Arlington Memorial Bridge in D.C., the visitor access upgrade at Herring Cove Beach at the Cape Cod National Seashore, and the rehabilitation of the Elkmont Waste Water System at Great Smoky Mountains National Park—dire maintenance and repair needs that contribute to the $11.6 billion backlog currently facing the nation’s national parks.
Roads, bridges, trails, water systems and visitor centers—even bathrooms, campgrounds and drinking fountains—are all part of this critical, but often unnoticed, infrastructure framework. In 2017, 330 million people visited the 417 NPS sites across the country. The NPS ?completed over $650 million in maintenance and repair work in Fiscal Year 2017, but aging facilities, high visitation, and resource constraints have kept the maintenance backlog between $11 billion and $12 billion since 2010.
“The President is a builder, he loves to build and he loves our National Parks, so it is a natural fit that the Administration is dedicating so much attention to rebuilding our aging parks infrastructure. These approved projects are more than just line items on an Excel spreadsheet. They have a tangible effect on a person’s experience when visiting our nation’s parks,” said Zinke. “Today’s announcement is another step toward eliminating the more than $11 billion in maintenance facing the National Park Service. It’s another step toward prioritizing infrastructure because it is an investment that bolsters local economies and gateway communities. And it is another step in prioritizing access for all Americans to our public lands.”
Secretary Zinke has made tackling Interior’s deferred maintenance backlog one of his top priorities. In April, he signed an memorandum of understanding committing Interior to follow President Trump’s One Federal Decision framework for processing of environmental reviews and permits for major infrastructure projects. In March, Interior announced the Secretary’s partnership with Congress on a bipartisan bill to address rebuild and repair National Park Service infrastructure.
Approved Fiscal Year 2018 National Park Service construction projects:
Unit
Project Title
State
Total
George Washington Memorial Parkway
Repair Arlington Memorial Bridge.
DC
$18,200,000
National Mall and Memorial Parks
Restore Jefferson Roof and Portico.
DC
$21,371,000
Lowell National Historical Park
Replace Unsafe and Inefficient Windows of Boott Mill Museum.
MA
$4,177,000
Cape Cod National Seashore
Upgrade Visitor Access at Herring Cove Beach.
MA
$5,442,000
Yellowstone National Park
Rehab and Seismic Retrofit of Mammoth Hotel Guest Room Wings.
WY
$21,264,000
Fort Point National Historic Site
Repair Leaks in North Barbette Tier and Repoint Brick Masonry at Fort Point.
CA
$5,996,000
Channel Islands National Park
Replace Anacapa Stiff-Leg Derrick Crane with Two-Crane System.
CA
$3,922,000
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Replace Plaza Paver System and Rehabilitate Visitor Center.
SD
$8,937,000
Vicksburg National Military Park
Stabilize Railroad Redoubt Earthworks.
MS
$5,909,000
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Construct Electrical Intertie to Falls Creek Hydro Project – Renewable Energy & Sustainability.
AK
$7,545,000
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Rehabilitate Elkmont Waste Water System.
TN
$2,594,000
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Rehabilitate Visitor Center for Access, Safety, and Energy Efficiency.
PA
$10,030,000
Old Santa Fe Trail Building
Rehab Building for Seismic, Rehab Exterior Envelope and Historic Elements.
NM
$2,822,000
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Replace Water Intake Barge with Shoreline Wells at Katherine Landing to Ensure Reliable Water Supply.
