Approved projects will repair and rehabilitate aging National Park Service infrastructure

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WASHINGTON— U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced more than $256 million in approved funding to rebuild critical national park infrastructure. The list includes projects like the repair of the Arlington Memorial Bridge in D.C., the visitor access upgrade at Herring Cove Beach at the Cape Cod National Seashore,​ and the rehabilitation of the Elkmont Waste Water System at Great Smoky Mountains National Park—dire maintenance and repair needs that contribute to the $11.6 billion backlog currently facing the nation’s national parks.

Roads, bridges, trails, water systems and visitor centers—even bathrooms, campgrounds and drinking fountains—are all part of this critical, but often unnoticed, infrastructure framework. In 2017, 330 million people visited the 417 NPS sites across the country. The NPS ​completed over $650 million in maintenance and repair work in Fiscal Year 2017, but aging facilities, ​high visitation, and resource constraints have kept the maintenance backlog between $11 billion and $12 billion since 2010.

Funds to restore the iconic Sperry Chalet dormitory are included in a $256 million package of National Park Service construction projects. (NPS Photo)
Funds to restore the iconic Sperry Chalet dormitory are included in a $256 million package of National Park Service construction projects. (NPS Photo)
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"​​The President is a builder, he loves to build and he loves our National Parks, so it is a natural fit that the Administration is dedicating so much attention to rebuilding our aging parks infrastructure. ​These approved projects are more than just line items on an Excel spreadsheet. They have a tangible effect on a person’s experience when visiting our nation’s parks,” said Secretary Zinke. “Today’s announcement is another step toward eliminating the more than $11 billion in maintenance facing the National Park Service. It’s another step toward prioritizing infrastructure because it is an investment that bolsters local economies and gateway communities. And it is another step in prioritizing access for all Americans to our public lands.”

Secretary Zinke has made tackling Interior’s deferred maintenance backlog one of his top priorities. In April, he signed an memorandum of understanding committing Interior to follow President Trump’s One Federal Decision framework for processing of environmental reviews and permits for major infrastructure projects. In March, Interior announced the Secretary’s partnership with Congress on a bipartisan bill to address rebuild and repair National Park Service infrastructure.

Approved Fiscal Year 2018 National Park Service construction projects:

 

Unit

Project TitleState

Total

George Washington Memorial ParkwayRepair Arlington Memorial Bridge.DC$18,200,000
National Mall and Memorial ParksRestore Jefferson Roof and Portico.DC$21,371,000
Lowell National Historical ParkReplace Unsafe and Inefficient Windows of Boott Mill Museum.MA$4,177,000
Cape Cod National SeashoreUpgrade Visitor Access at Herring Cove Beach.MA$5,442,000
Yellowstone National ParkRehab and Seismic Retrofit of Mammoth Hotel Guest Room Wings.WY$21,264,000
Fort Point National Historic SiteRepair Leaks in North Barbette Tier and Repoint Brick Masonry at Fort Point.CA$5,996,000
Channel Islands National ParkReplace Anacapa Stiff-Leg Derrick Crane with Two-Crane System.CA$3,922,000
Mount Rushmore National MemorialReplace Plaza Paver System and Rehabilitate Visitor Center.SD$8,937,000
Vicksburg National Military ParkStabilize Railroad Redoubt Earthworks.MS$5,909,000
Glacier Bay National Park & PreserveConstruct Electrical Intertie to Falls Creek Hydro Project - Renewable Energy & Sustainability.AK$7,545,000
Great Smoky Mountains National ParkRehabilitate Elkmont Waste Water System.TN$2,594,000
Valley Forge National Historical ParkRehabilitate Visitor Center for Access, Safety, and Energy Efficiency.PA$10,030,000
Old Santa Fe Trail BuildingRehab Building for Seismic, Rehab Exterior Envelope and Historic Elements.NM$2,822,000
Lake Mead National Recreation AreaReplace Water Intake Barge with Shoreline Wells at Katherine Landing to Ensure Reliable Water Supply.AZ$1,976,000
Death Valley National ParkRestore Flood-Damaged Historic Scotty's Castle Visitor Center.CA$5,394,000
Carlsbad Caverns National ParkReplace Old/Failing Primary Electrical Distribution Infrastructure.NM$3,432,000
Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNorth Shore Road Monetary Settlement.NC$35,200,000
Mammoth Cave National ParkReconstruct Unsafe Cave Trail Along Grand Avenue Tour Between Snowball and Grand Central.KY$13,894,000
Statue Of Liberty National MonumentStabilize Ellis Island Seawall - Phase III.NY$33,021,000
National Capital Regional OfficeRehabilitate National Mall and Memorial Parks, US Park Police, and Regional Office Campus.DC$11,807,000
Yosemite National Park Rehabilitate Wawona Wastewater Treatment Plant.CA$21,578,000
Glacier National ParkRebuild/Reconstruct Sperry Chalet.MT$12,000,000

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