BANDELIER News:

President Obama’s budget request for fiscal year 2016 – the centennial year of the National Park Service (NPS) – includes $3 billion for the bureau’s critical conservation, preservation and recreation mission.

This provides a boost of $432.9 million toward the NPS’s essential programs and operations. The NPS was established in 1916 to administer America’s national parks, monuments, and related areas. In 2016, its 100-year anniversary, the system preserves 405 areas, 23 national scenic and national historic trails and 60 wild and scenic rivers.

The budget proposal would provide targeted increases for the NPS Centennial Initiative, a multi-year effort to support the preservation of these natural, cultural and historic treasures. This includes funds to address maintenance work that has been deferred for many years.

“In 2016, the National Park Service will celebrate its Centennial by inviting hundreds of millions of Americans to ‘Find Their Park’ by visiting national park areas nationwide,” NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said. “This budget increase will assist the NPS to provide for visitors to have a wonderful and safe experience. In addition, this is an investment in ‘America’s Best Idea’ that pays dividends across the nation. For every dollar appropriated to the NPS in the President’s 2016 Centennial budget, $10 is returned to the American economy in the form of visitor spending, travel and tourism, and thousands of related jobs.”

At Bandelier National Monument, Superintendent Jason Lott added, “This centennial budget is significant for parks around the country because it helps us prepare to welcome millions of visitors, including a new generation of visitors, supporters, and advocates, to experience and enjoy their National Parks. It is particularly helpful at Bandelier, since 2016 is our park’s centennial year, too.”

Increases in the President’s Budget for the NPS would include:

• $4.7 million to support the Cultural Resource Challenge, including $0.7 million to digitize the National Register, $1.0 million to provide grants in aid to tribal historic preservation offices, and $3.0 million to complete baseline documentation at parks to ensure informed management decisions.

• $16.0 million for Natural Resource Stewardship and Science, including $3.5 million for climate change adaptation projects, $1.3 million for ocean and coastal resource stewardship, $1.2 million for coordinated science based response to energy development, and $10 million for climate change resiliency projects to be matched on a 50-50 basis with non-federal partners under the Challenge Cost Share authority.

• $18.3 million in discretionary increases from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to support federal land acquisition projects, including recreational access, and both traditional and competitive state conservation grants.  This is complemented by a legislative proposal to provide mandatory funding from the LWCF.  In 2016, if enacted by Congress, this would provide an additional $106.7 million for federal land acquisition, $47.0 million for state grants, and $25.0 million for the Urban Parks and Recreation Fund, which assists economically distressed urban communities with the revitalization and improvement of recreation opportunities.