{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s3172-115/featured_restore-our-parks-act-1533831423.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s3172-115/featured_large_restore-our-parks-act-1533831423.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s3172-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2018-06-28","title_override":"Should Revenue From Energy Developed on Other Public Lands be Used to Address the National Park Service’s Maintenance Backlog?","summary_override":"

This bill — known as the Restore Our Parks Act — would establish and fund a National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund to address the National Park Service’s (NPS) nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog. This fund would draw on existing energy development revenues paid to the federal government from oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy development on federal land and water, taking 50% of those revenues up to $1.3 billion in any fiscal year.

NPS maintenance projects these funds could be used for include:

Repair and maintenance of historic structure, facilities, and other historic assets,
Park facilities to ensure visitor access, disability access, health and safety, and recreation options,
Maintenance and repair of visitor facilities, water and utility systems, and NPS employee housing, and
Road, bridge, tunnel, or other transportation-related projects on and leading to NPS lands

Money from the Fund couldn’t be used for land acquisition or to supplant annual discretionary funding made available for annual NPS operations.

This bill would also allow public cash or in-kind donations to the Fund, which may be used to reduce the NPS maintenance backlog or to encourage relevant public-private partnerships.

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Should Revenue From Energy Developed on Other Public Lands be Used to Address the National Park Service’s Maintenance Backlog?