Political Quotes

“American historian and author Wallace Stegner called our national parks ``the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.'' The National Park Service turned 100 on August 25, 2016. I wish to celebrate a century of recreation, conservation, and historic preservation programs. Congress created the agency in 1916 for the specific purpose of caring for America's special places. The National Park Service was given the responsibility not only to conserve and protect parks, but also to leave them ``unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.'' The job got bigger as parks expanded in number and type. In the 1930s, military parks and national monuments were added. Then came national parkways and seashores, followed by urban parks in the 1960s. During the next decade, the National Park System nearly doubled with the addition of 47 million acres in Alaska. I am proud of the national parks and programs in Maryland's backyard. Maryland is home to 18 national parks, which attract 6,443,376 visitors every year. This national park tourism generates $216,700,000 in economic benefit. I am proud of the range of parks in the State, from national battlefields such as Antietam and Monocacy in western Maryland to Assateague Island National Seashore, which offers visitors sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests, and coastal bays on the edge of the continent.…”