WASHINGTON (AP) – After nearly 100 years, the National Park Service holds some of the most beautiful and historic places in the country, though there’s also an $11 billion backlog of unfunded maintenance and a visitor base that’s aging and mostly white.
With its centennial approaching in 2016, the park service will launch a major campaign Thursday in New York City to raise support and introduce a new, more diverse generation of millennials and children to “America’s best idea,” the national parks. First lady Michelle Obama and former first lady Laura Bush will co-chair the campaign, calling on Americans to “Find Your Park” to enjoy their public lands.
Sustaining the national parks and keeping them relevant to visitors for another 50 or 100 years is a growing challenge, park officials told The Associated Press. Many facilities date back 50 years or more and are in danger of failing entirely, such as a 70-year-old water pipeline at the Grand Canyon that breaks regularly and could cut off the water supply to the popular tourist attraction, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said. Lodging at Glacier National Park needs a major overhaul, and the nearly 100-year-old Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., needs at least $150 million in repairs – more than the agency’s entire annual construction budget.
Behind the scenes, officials are seeking to expand fundraising and bolster congressional support to improve the parks.
While the national parks counted 292 million visitors in 2014, those visitors tend to be older and whiter than the U.S. population overall.