HARRISBURG, Pa. - Community groups are calling on Congress to fully fund maintenance at National Park Service sites in Pennsylvania that have backlogs of needed repairs.
For years, the National Park Service has postponed critical maintenance on sites across the country. From Point Marion south of Pittsburgh to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, there are 19 national historic sites, battlefields and parks across the state.
Chad Forcey, executive director of the Pennsylvania Conservative Energy Forum, said deferred maintenance has left some of the most popular tourist destinations crumbling into disrepair.
"The Gettysburg National Military Park, the site of the largest battle in American history on American soil, is behind in infrastructure repairs by a total of $55.5 million," Forcey said.
This is national Infrastructure Week, and the Restore America's Parks campaign, organized by the Pew Charitable Trusts, is urging Congress to allocate the funds needed to reduce the backlog of overdue repairs. Marcia Argust, director of the campaign, said many of the repairs that have been neglected may not be evident to park visitors but still are critical.
"There are a lot of infrastructure facilities in national parks that people wouldn't automatically think of: sewage facilities, bathrooms, waterlines that provide drinking water and electrical systems, as well," Argust said, adding that the total repair cost at National Park Service sites nationally is now about $11.6 billion.
Forcey said the parks also are a major source of revenue for local business, and making needed repairs would generate thousands of jobs. But that isn't all that's at stake.
"This has got to be resolved in order to preserve the lands for future generations," he said. "Our citizens and our children aren't going to be able to enjoy these sites if we can't fix them."
The Restore America's Parks campaign is asking policymakers to provide adequate funding for ongoing repairs, and to enact reforms to ensure that deferred maintenance doesn't escalate.
More information on the campaign is online at pewtrusts.org.
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Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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The Biden-Harris administration is taking another step to protect northeast Nevada's Ruby Mountains - by putting them temporarily off-limits to oil, gas and geothermal development.
The U.S. Forest Service submitted the petition and application to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
If approved, it would initiate a two-year halt on new oil, gas and geothermal development on about 264,000 acres. Mining and commercial operations would continue.
Russell Kuhlman, executive director of the Nevada Wildlife Federation, said this mandatory pause would help researchers determine why wildlife populations - like mule deer, bighorn sheep, and sage grouse - have been declining in the region.
"That is what, in my opinion, is textbook sound scientific wildlife management," said Kuhlman. "The first step you need to do is limit variables - and one of those variables, over the last five or 10 years, has been the threat of oil and gas companies wanting to do exploratory drilling."
When the petition is approved and published in the Federal Register, it will initiate the two-year moratorium in what's called Nevada's Swiss Alps.
A 90 day public comment period will then follow on a proposed longer withdrawal.
Federal agencies will consult with Tribes on an environmental analysis to decide if the moratorium should be extended up to 20 years.
Kuhlman said the state does a good job of not only hearing everyone's concerns, but building coalitions and rallying behind solutions to protect public lands for future generations.
But he said those who may not know much about the state's oil and gas history could hold misconceptions.
"When I talk to people not engaged in this space, they believe that just because oil and gas is banned somewhere that there is a motherlode of oil and gas ready to be tapped, and then someone is not allowing that to happen," said Kuhlman. "That is not the case for the Ruby Mountains. It's really trying to find water in sand."
Kuhlman added that putting a stop to oil and gas development in the Rubies can help determine how it's affecting the ecosystem, and whether it should be part of the "multiple use" doctrine for public lands.
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A bill passed by Congress could expand opportunities for recreation on public lands in places like Montana.
The EXPLORE Act, presented to President Joe Biden last week, would help ensure public lands and recreational areas remain accessible and fund updates for old infrastructure, among other improvements. It comes as the outdoor recreation economy has grown 36% since 2012, according to an Outdoor Recreation Roundtable analysis.
Jessica Zephyrs, vice president of marketing and communications for the Adventure Cycling Association, noted cycling is up 11%, and she has seen increased interest in biking off paved roads.
"What we've really seen growth in are things like bike packing, gravel cycling, E-bike touring, guided tours," Zephyrs outlined. "Getting outside and experiencing nature in the world."
The Great American Rail-Trail could fit the bill. Announced in 2019, it is a nonmotorized trail designed so a user can cross the entire country separated from traffic. The Montana section, which will run from Yellowstone northwest through Saltese, is 25% complete, according to the Rails to Trails Conservancy.
Zephyrs pointed out new and used bike sales spiked during the pandemic when more people started recreating outside. She added it is hard to tell if they're still using those bikes as other hobbies have become available again.
"The hope is that we can continue to inspire and empower people to get out on those bikes," Zephyrs emphasized. "Ride in a way that is exciting and empowering for them."
One section of the EXPLORE Act specifically supports biking on long-distance trails. New data show outdoor recreation in the U.S. generated more than $1 trillion in economic output last year, or 2.3% of the nation's gross domestic product.
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A national land trust has purchased 44,000 acres of forest in Northwestern Maine to keep it wild and free for generations to come.
The Hilton Family Forest near Jackman contains mountain peaks, waterfalls and vital habitats for rare plant and animal species like the golden eagle. It is also a popular recreational area for hiking, biking and fishing.
Tom Duffus, vice president and northeast representative for The Conservation Fund, said the land will remain open to the public.
"We want to just keep things the same," Duffus explained. "What we've learned from this community so far is how important the stability of these landscapes is to them."
Duffus pointed out his organization purchased the land from the Hilton Family for $44 million and is now working with area communities on a permanent conservation solution.
Duffus stressed protecting the forest from subdivision or development contributes to the state's climate goals and improves climate and wildlife resilience. He added the land will also continue to provide revenue and jobs in the commercial sugaring, forest products and tourism industries.
"Working forests work for nature, they work for people," Duffus emphasized. "That is really the point of keeping all that going in a real sea change of land use that is happening in the forested landscapes around the country."
Maine is the most forested state in the nation and most of that forest is privately owned. Duffus noted there has been high turnover in land ownership since the 1990s, when paper companies began to sell their properties to timber investors. He added The Conservation Fund is helping to build a growing network of protected lands for the public good.
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