Angus King

One of the things that they are talking about is that mission is an important part of recruitment.

I sincerely urge you, in the next budget, we should see a growth in annual maintenance in order to prevent the development of further deferred maintenance in the future.

The National Park Service has lost almost 19 percent of its operations capacity since 2011

Senator Daines and I were prime sponsors of the Great American Outdoors Act to address deferred maintenance.

Senator Daines and I have been advocating for.

We are still not where we should be.

I hope to better understand why that is and if these subaccounts should receive greater priority.

The National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will come to order.

Looking forward to today's hearing, we will be focusing on the National Park Service's Fiscal Year 2024 budget request.

What about shortening the time period for litigation from years to months?

I think one of the things that is important to realize here is that we are all talking about projects that get delayed or take a long time, and it's a lengthy and cumbersome process.

You cannot love EVs and hate lithium mines. This is a national security issue as well as an environmental issue.

I think FPISC having authority to drive that process forward makes a lot of sense.

In order to achieve our environmental goals, we have to build things.

Whenever my staff tells me it's going to take a couple of years to do something--I will share this with you--I always remind them that Eisenhower retook Europe in 11 months.

I think it's important, as I listen to the discussion here today, no one, not a single witness and no one at this dais has talked about lowering environmental standards.

But you are intent on getting that road open as soon as possible, given that the road itself is an attractive asset.

I hope you will convey to your staff and to the thousands of people that work for the Park Service the compliments of this Committee for the yeoman service that they provide to the country, to their visitors.

We are not talking about a great deal of money, but there is an inequality now that I think it would be helpful to address.

It is a sacred mission and we are delighted that you have taken on its stewardship.

I hope you will look at that and that there will be an equalization at some point.

I sincerely urge you, in the next budget, we should see a growth in annual maintenance in order to prevent the development of further deferred maintenance in the future.

Senator Daines and I have been advocating for.

This is an important investment that was made last year to address the park's $190 million in deferred maintenance.

I hope that the Park Service begins now to think about how to sustain that funding, whether to fold it into the ongoing budget or what the strategy will be because limited funding--the deadline has a way of coming.