Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) applauded committee passage of bipartisan legislation he co-sponsored that would address the nearly $12 billion backlog in long-delayed maintenance projects at the National Park Service. That backlog includes $215 million for projects in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

“America was blessed with stunning landscapes that attract visitors from all over the world and add substantial economic and cultural value in regions like Western North Carolina and the Outer Banks,” said Senator Tillis. “We must actively work to rebuild and improve our National Parks, including the $215 million backlog in the Great Smoky Mountains, and I am proud to support this legislation to make that a priority.”

The Restore Our Parks Act would establish the “National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund” to reduce the maintenance backlog by allocating existing revenues the government receives from on and offshore energy development. This funding would come from 50 percent of all revenues that are not otherwise allocated and deposited into the General Treasury not to exceed $1.3 billion each year for the next five years.

###