Key lawmakers are at odds over a plan to reauthorize a law that invests in the national parks, with a top Democrat saying a Republican draft proposal unduly includes tolls, fees and a “slush fund for Donald Trump to do vanity projects.”
Lawmakers in both parties are keen to reauthorize the Great American Outdoors Act, signed by President Donald Trump during his first term, despite election-year hurdles.
Now Rep. Jared Huffman of California, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, expressed “grave disappointment” with language being shared by the majority staff on the committee.
“What we’re seeing from the Republican side so far is disturbing,” he said in an interview. “Things that are total nonstarters.”
The law infused $1.9 billion to address the park and public lands maintenance backlog. It also permanently funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund with $900 million annually from offshore oil and gas revenues.
Huffman expressed surprise at the draft because he said Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) spoke to him about pursuing a bipartisan bill aligned with a Senate companion package that already has 52 co-sponsors.
“It just doesn’t square with what I heard from the chairman himself,” Huffman said of the draft. “I can only assume it is [staff driven]. I just think sometimes around here there’s this hyperpartisan reflex that is hard to control, and we can’t allow it to hijack an opportunity like this.” Huffman and his staff are preparing a written response, he said.
For his part, Westerman said he’s eager to advance the bill but is looking for new funding streams. “We’ve got to find a way to pay for the Legacy Restoration Fund,” he said, referring to the maintenance backlog. “So there’s a lot of ideas being discussed, but all we’ve got right now are discussion drafts.”
One of those ideas is a toll on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a 25-mile road running along the Potomac River outside Washington that’s maintained by the National Park Service.
Westerman has complained that fees at major national parks — such as Yellowstone in Wyoming — go to fix a big city highway rather than improve access or repairs at what he likes to call the country’s “crown jewels.”
“Look at how much money got spent out of GAOA on the GW Parkway and look at all the funding like in Wyoming that goes to the GW Parkway,” he said.
“So I’m not sure why the [National] Park Service ever built a highway in the first place, but if you start looking at ways you can fund the maintenance backlog, then that’s obviously something that should be on the table,” he said.
Three other people familiar with the Republican draft and granted anonymity to share nonpublic information said it also included tolls on the Baltimore-Washington and Clara Barton parkways. One also mentioned a fast-pass system for visitors at high-demand national parks.
When asked, Westerman said the Trump administration’s $100-per-person surcharge for international visitors at some national parks could be codified.
“We’ve discussed all mechanisms,” Westerman added. “I’m open to all ideas of how we could fund it.”
A hearing was in the works for next week, according to Huffman, though now the schedule is unclear. Westerman countered that nothing has been scheduled, but said: “It’ll be sooner rather than later.”
A Westerman spokesperson said, “The chairman looks forward to working with colleagues who are serious about reauthorizing this important legislation. Addressing the deferred maintenance challenges and improving the visitor experience on our nation’s public lands in a fiscally responsible manner is a worthy endeavor and should rise above partisan politics.”
In the Senate, Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) has expressed an interest in reforming the law because he opposes the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s automatic land acquisitions and overall “broken” process. His office did not respond to a request for comment on the latest machinations.
The pending Senate companion, S. 1547, sponsored by Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Angus King (I-Maine), has dozens of Republican and Democratic co-sponsors, now at a total of 52.
“We’re looking for additional co-sponsors and then we’re going to try to move it,” King said. Daine’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the latest.
Westerman said he’s planning to meet with Lee soon on the topic. “At the end of the day, the House and the Senate have to agree on something if we are going to reauthorize the program,” Westerman said. “I think there’s a lot of bipartisan desire to reauthorize the program.”
He noted the original GAOA dealt with the LWCF, which is now permanent. The reauthorization simply deals with the maintenance backlog, said Westerman.
“We want to give some flexibility to do enhanced recreation activities and access at parks,” he said.
Asked if that’s what Huffman has been interpreting as a Trump “slush fund,” he said, “I haven’t talked to him about that.”
Westerman did say he thought the White House would be supportive — perhaps as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration.
“There’s not much Americans agree on more than their love for the national parks,” he said. “And as we go into our 250th year, I think, overwhelmingly, the country would support taking care of these parks.”
