THE HILL • September 17, 2021
National Parks are at their breaking point. Collectively, we have spent over 70 years managing some of America’s most incredible national parks. And during our time as superintendents, we often had to grapple with the difficult task of balancing the visitor experience with the protection of irreplaceable resources. Protecting new lands by adding units to the NPS — and ensuring they have adequate funding — would give visitors more destinations to consider. And the Biden administration has launched their America the Beautiful Plan, a decade-long challenge to conserve, connect and restore the lands, waters and wildlife upon which we all depend. We need to ensure that our existing national parks, and any new units added to the NPS, are adequately funded on an annual basis so they can hire the staff necessary to protect resources and provide a safe experience for visitors, even as crowds continue to grow. ~ Russell Gallipeau and Don Neubacher