From Preservation Action:

This week the House Natural Resources Committee held an oversight hearing on the National Park Service's deferred maintenance backlog. In 2020 Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), which established a fund providing $6.5 billion over 5 years to address the maintenance backlog at National Parks and public lands. Since passage, the GAOA has funded over 275 projects in all 50 states, including several restoration projects on historic assets. However, the backlog has grown from approximately $13 billion to more than $22 billion from 2019 to 2023. 

The National Park Service points to a number of factors for the increase including inflation, supply chain issues, the compounding nature of the maintenance backlog, changes in how the National Park Service calculates the backlog, and including additional expenses to allow for project execution costs like design, construction management, and compliance. A report from the Department of Interior (DOI) Inspector General and another reportfrom the Government Accountability Office (GAO), looked into the increases.

During the hearing, the Committee heard testimony from the GAO and DOI Inspector General. At the hearing some lawmakers questioned the implementation of the GAOA and reasons for the increase to the backlog. Others pointed to the impact and success of the GAOA. Check out the full hearing to learn more.

Learn more: https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=415353