Stimulus package should include national parks

With more than 10 million out-of-state visitors bringing more than $3 billion into the state annually, tourism is Montana’s second largest industry. Why do people flock here? It’s no surprise when research tells us that visitors come here for natural beauty, clean air, bountiful wildlife and to see two of America’s most treasured national parks: Yellowstone and Glacier.

In fact, nearly half of our out-of-state visitors cite these parks as the primary reason for their trip, and more then 75 percent of all visitors go to one or both parks.

Despite being prized by Montanans and vital to our economic well-being, decades of insufficient funding have left our national parks in an unacceptable state of disrepair.

Fortunately, President-elect Barack Obama and Congress have an exciting opportunity before them not only to rejuvenate our national parks and give our economy a much-needed boost, but also to uphold our park stewardship obligations for future generations.

A chronic lack of federal funding has left our national parks with a maintenance backlog estimated at between $5 billion and $9 billion. In Yellowstone alone, the maintenance backlog is estimated at more than $200 million.

The funding challenges manifest themselves as campgrounds without potable water, popular hiking trails closed indefinitely, the Going-to-the-Sun Road in serious disrepair, and only 30 of 297 historic buildings ranked in “good” condition in Glacier Park. The need is clear and the stakes are high for Montana’s tourism industry — almost half of national park visitors say they won’t return to parks with dilapidated infrastructure.

The economic stimulus package we he hear so much about in the news isn’t just a tool to “fix” our economy, it’s also an opportunity to rejuvenate our national parks. In fact, the economic recovery package being developed by the Obama transition team and Congress represents the most significant opportunity to renew our national parks in at least half a century.

The Park Service has identified $2.5 billion in projects that can be undertaken within the next two years, including more than $1 billion that could be instituted in a matter of months.

In addition to using stimulus funding to reduce park infrastructure backlogs, there is also an opportunity to use it for national and community service — through existing authorities and ready-made expansions of authorities like AmeriCorps — to conduct many of the needed activities in the national parks.

A National Parks Service Corps, Clean Energy Corps, the Public Land Corps and other such endeavors can provide ready employment opportunities while facilitating the stewardship of our national treasures.

Studies have shown that for every dollar invested in the National Park System, at least $4 is created in economic activity.

Our leaders have plenty of tough decisions ahead of them, but some choices are easy. Repairing the neglected infrastructure of our national parks is an investment in Montana’s vital tourism industry and the heart and soul of our country.

As the new year and a new administration dawns, I hope the President-elect and Montana’s Congressional delegation will remember that we all benefit when we make our national parks a national priority.

Curtis Spindler is the current president of the Travel Industry Association of Montana.