House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement commemorating the Centennial of the National Park Service:  

“Our national parks are a uniquely American concept. Unfortunately, 100 years after its inception, the National Park Service is encumbered by management failures. Limited resources are siphoned to new acquisitions while the Service's $12 billion maintenance backlog is ignored. For a park to fulfill the measure of its creation, people have to see it. This backlog and management failure limits visits and recreational access. We need creative thinking to expand access and improve visitor experience. The House is ready to provide the National Park Service with the right management tools that are crucial in continuing to improve our parks and lands for future generations.”

Background: H.R. 4680, “National Park Service Centennial Act,” introduced by Chairman Bishop, provides new funding and management authority to the National Park Service. The bill passed through committee with bipartisan support on March 16, 2016. We look forward to bringing H.R. 4680 to the floor for House consideration.