Charles Taylor: “Mr. Chairman, relating to the operation funds, we hope maybe in the conference we will be able to provide more money…”

“Mr. Chairman, relating to the operation funds, we hope maybe in the conference we will be able to provide more money, after we work with the Senate, for the Interior bill. But we have a letter from the parks director, and this is the second letter that they have sent; and also in public testimony they pointed out that there is not going to be any reductions in visitors' services or access to the park facilities this year. Let me repeat that. Her instructions to the National Park Service field management was clear that the parks facilities are to be available at the same level as they were in the last year, with some amounts for changes for operating hours where individual work might be going on. So we do not expect parks to be closed. We do not expect any different changes in visitation for our people who will be vacationing at national parks. We put $1 billion into parks operation. That was a $55 million increase; and while we all want to look for more money for our entire public lands, we think this is adequate, and we have the Parks Service's guarantee that we will not be closing parks under any circumstances this year.”