By Chip McElroy
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas I know for certain there two things that enjoy broad bipartisan support: Craft Beer and National Parks! That is why Live Oak Brewery recently hosted Brews for Big
Bend."
This was a fundraising event to assist with special projects in
Texas largest national park Big Bend. One particular project relates to deferred maintenance. According to the National Park Service Texas has a deferred maintenance backlog of nearly $157 million with 57 of that amount being at Big Bend.
What is deferred maintenance? In short it is work not finished by the required timelines to help ensure that parks are up to safety standards for everyone to enjoy.
This can include:
- Aging Infrastructure
- Broken Bridges
- Crumbling Roads
- Deteriorating Monuments & Memorials
- Increased Wear & Tear
- Outdated Wastewater & Electrical Systems
- Unsafe Historic Structures and
- Unsafe Paths
Although park funding has increased in recent years there still continues to be a budget shortfall. However there is hope in the form of
H.R. 2584 - bipartisan legislation introduced by
Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX) 
that addresses funding for national parks without raising taxes.
It is supported by 39 Co-Sponsors evenly split between both political parties. Passage of this bill is important because without it
the National Park Service is proposing significant fee increases into some of our parks. Americas national parks must remain affordable. Everyone regardless of race gender citizenship or even religion should have the opportunities to visit Americas national treasures without being priced out.
What does this legislation do? For simplification purposes HR 2584 would:
- Establish a federal National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund to draw down the $12 billion national park maintenance backlog
- Be financed using revenue from oil gas coal and other mineral operations that is not already allocated to other programs and
- Ramp up over time to address high-priority deferred maintenance needs
Under this legislation 80 of the money would go toward repairs and to rehabilitate National Park Service sites and 20 would be used to restore transportation-related infrastructure.
As it relates to Texas please know that over 5 million visitors in 2016 enjoyed national parks in Texas with $288.5 million spent in the local economies. That spending supported 4445 jobs and added $2.9 billion to the states economy money that helps businesses schools and families.
And in respect to deferred maintenance in Texas it is close to $157 million for our 13 national parks.
The last time our federal government addressed infrastructure needs with Americas national park Texas-born Dwight D. Eisenhower was president. Its time to update because investing in our national parks infrastructure just makes good sense: It preserves Americas heritage for future generations creates infrastructure-related jobs and protects our Texas communities that depend on park tourism.
As someone who enjoys the outdoors immensely it is important for all of us to consider that by investing in our national parks we can help preserve Americas heritage for future generations protect
communities that depend on park tourism create infrastructure related jobs and hopefully enjoy a cold craft beer along the way.
Chip McElroy is the owner of Live Oak Brewery.
