David Thomas: “I wanted to talk just a couple of moments about something that is very important to me and very close to my heart. That…”

“I wanted to talk just a couple of moments about something that is very important to me and very close to my heart. That is the National Park System. Wyoming, of course, has two of what I think are the crown jewels of the Park System, the Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, as well as several others in our State. Selfishly, they are very important. But more than that, national parks are, I think, a part of our heritage. They are part of our past, they are part of our future, they are part of our economy, and something that I feel very strongly about. Of course, they are funded in the appropriations bill for the Department of Interior. I spent a considerable amount of time in August in the parks, both Yellowstone and Teton. Part of the problem we talked about while I was there is a financial one. It is big business. Yellowstone National Park has an operating budget of somewhere over $20 million, and with other income, more than a $40 million budget. It is a large activity. We will be talking in this appropriations bill about priorities.”