Balanced Rock on the Grapevine Hills Trail, Big Bend National Park, Texas
Every year, nearly 400,000 people visit Texas’ Big Bend National Park, a vast collection of natural landscapes and cultural resources located along the Rio Grande River. Created in 1944, Big Bend National Park is celebrating its 73rd anniversary this week. Big Bend helps to tell the story of people who have resided in its mountains and deserts for thousands of years, from the Comanche Indians to Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American settlers. The 801,000-acre park also houses more than 1,200 species of plants, 450 species of birds, 75 species of mammals, and 200 miles of trails. This natural and recreational treasure is one of the largest National Park sites in the country, using its vast and diverse spaces both to foster a love for the outdoors, and to educate visitors about the history of people who lived in Big Bend.
Today, Big Bend visitors contribute approximately $34.2 million annually to the local economy, supporting hundreds of jobs, and providing a cumulative benefit to the local economy of approximately $37.9 million in 2016. In addition, Big Bend hosts around 130,000 overnight stays each year in its trailer parks, lodges, and campgrounds. Thanks to the park’s impressive size and distinctive Lone Star beauty, it has many fans – the San Antonio Express-News declared that “the park’s 1,152 square miles oozes ‘Texas’ more than Tex-Mex cuisine, barbecue and the Dallas Cowboys.”
Unfortunately, like many other National Park Service sites, Big Bend suffers from severe budget and maintenance deficits. The park is currently facing an estimated $86.8 million deferred maintenance burden, impacting its collection of cabins, campgrounds, visitors’ centers, and other structures. Campground closures are limiting visitors’ options for water, sewage, and other services, and many popular sites are far behind on needed maintenance. The park’s perennial fire danger, in addition to posing a direct threat to visitor safety, further adds to maintenance issues. A fire in May, for example, tore through 1,000 acres of park land, closing a dozen campsites and trails. Beloved trails like Grapevine Hills, a favorite hiking trail that offers access to Balanced Rock, need a combined $1.5 million in delayed repairs. In short, this park deserves better treatment.
If we can better support the National Park Service, we will help Big Bend and hundreds of other sites tackle their backlogs and conduct ongoing maintenance. We would create a richer experience for park visitors and locals, increasing economic prosperity and cultural vitality in legions of national parks across the county.
The Solution
The deferred maintenance challenge at Big Bend National Park is indicative of a broader problem. The National Park Service oversees 413 natural, historic, and cultural places in every corner of the U.S. and most of its territories, and the Park Service faces significant challenges to adequately maintain these places. After decades of under-funding, the National Park Service’s total infrastructure repair backlog is estimated at $11 billion (FY 2016), including $3 billion attributed to historic, non-transportation structures and sites.
Thankfully, new, bipartisan legislation has been introduced in both houses of Congress that would address this problem by creating a dedicated federal funding stream for national park maintenance. The National Park Service Legacy Act would dedicate time and investments to repairing NPS’s roads, facilities, and park structures.
Our parks must remain open and accessible, so the public can continue to learn from and experience these places that tell our nation’s history. Our National Park System celebrates our historic and natural treasures, and it is our responsibility to ensure our parks are maintained and preserved so future generations can continue to enjoy and learn from them.
These Senators and Representatives, Democrats and Republicans, have found a way to save our park system, and we urge all of Congress to join this coalition and pass this must-needed legislation. Through this bill, we all can ensure that our distinctive history remains an important and viable part of our future.