Coalition Statement on President Biden’s FY2022 Budget
Date: 6.3.2021
Contact: Emily Thompson; Em************@pr********.org
Last week, the Biden administration released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2022. The proposal calls for significant investments in the National Park System, including an increase of nearly $381 million (a 12% increase) to the National Park Service (NPS) budget. If enacted, these funding increases would help to modernize parks and park infrastructure, increase conservation efforts, expand visitor access, and help ensure visitor safety. It would also allow the agency to hire more than 1,000 rangers.
Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, issued the following statement following the release of the budget proposal:
“The President’s budget plan is a boon for our national parks. After a decade of declining budgets and staff reductions, President Biden’s budget is welcome news for the National Park Service, which has been woefully understaffed and underfunded for years.
This budget would also allow the NPS to obtain high-priority land acquisition efforts and further support the conservation goals laid out in the President’s America the Beautiful Plan.
At a time when the National Park Service is managing 423 national park sites with annual visitation exceeding 327 million in 2019 prior to the Covid park shutdowns, the need for additional staff to manage these sites and provide visitor services is greater than ever.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated just how much this country loves its national parks. And after months of stay-at-home orders and quarantines, we understand how eager Americans are to get outside and take advantage of all that our parks have to offer.
We expect 2021 will be an incredibly busy year for the Park Service and we urge Congress to move swiftly to provide this much needed funding to meet the demands of visitation and ensure our irreplaceable resources are protected today, and for the future.”
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks represents over 1,900 current, former, and retired employees and volunteers of the National Park Service, with over 40,000 collective years of stewardship of America’s most precious natural and cultural resources. Recognized as the Voices of Experience, the Coalition educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation and protection of the National Park System, and mission-related programs of the National Park Service. More information can be found at https://protectnps.org