Aug 25, 05:30 PM

National Park Service Turns 109 Amid Push for New Funding Plan

The U.S. National Park Service marked its 109th anniversary on Monday, prompting a bipartisan chorus of tributes from lawmakers who underscored the agency’s role in safeguarding more than 400 parks that draw hundreds of millions of visitors each year. Several members of Congress tied the celebrations to policy initiatives. West Virginia Republican Representative Riley Moore said he has introduced the PATRIOT Parks Act, which would increase entrance fees for foreign visitors and direct the proceeds to trail upkeep and other maintenance needs across the park system. In California, Representative Jimmy Panetta highlighted the recent opening of the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument on Aug. 15, calling the community-driven project proof of "dedication, persistence and collaboration" in expanding public lands. Theresa Pierno, president and chief executive of the National Parks Conservation Association, said in an earlier interview that rangers remain "the most beloved and important storytellers in this nation," a point echoed by lawmakers who cast the parks as both natural sanctuaries and living museums of U.S. history.