Sustainable, safe, and efficient transportation not only adds to the a park visitor’s enjoyment, but facilitates the protection of the parks’ natural and cultural resources. The National Park Service must provide and maintain a quality transportation system.
Our national parks are important national assets and the Federal government is responsible for ensuring that the NPS transportation system-and the land on which it rests-are preserved and maintained consistent with the NPS mission,”… which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
Today, park unit roads, bridges, parking lots, trails, and vehicles are in need of repair, rehabilitation, or reconstruction. Now is the time for an all-out effort to bring our NPS transportation assets up to acceptable levels, and to provide additional alternative transportation services to better accommodate visitation and resource protection.
In the reauthorization of the federal transportation legislation, the National Park Service proposes a multi-modal transportation system investment of $825 million annually between FY 2012 and FY 2015, with the goal of bringing the transportation systems in the Parks to a safe and efficient level by 2016, the Centennial of the National Park Service.
Investing in the system today will ensure visitors continued access to our country’s natural wonders, and opportunities for learning about our natural history and cultural heritage.
