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From the rocky Atlantic coastline of Acadia to the snowy valley of glaciers, we National Parks It is the American crown jewelry and is admired at home and abroad. But our parks represent more than just natural beauty. They embody our history, our freedom and our future. It is our responsibility to make sure they remain a key part of these common values.
All of these places, large and small, tell the American story: families gathered in places where camping and fish, veterans reflected on the historic battlefield, and the local economy flourished in outdoor entertainment and tourism. In recent years, we have made progress to maintain national parks to make them safer, more modern, and more capable to handle hundreds of millions of visitors each year, thanks to the Old Restoration Fund (LRF), a federal program dedicated to repairing and restoring our parks. However, the LRF will expire on September 30, 2025, and there is still much work to be done to commemorate the heritage and history represented by the park, especially before the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. That’s why we introduced the US to reauthorize the beauty of LRF. It continues to raise the vision with the Great American Outdoors Act and builds on bipartisan consensus that maintaining our parks and public land is a responsibility we all share and a natural investment.
For decades, the park needed Insufficient funds. In 2020, when Congress passed with a bipartisan majority, President Trump signed the Outdoors in America, the largest investment in our parks, our biggest investment in over 50 years. As a result, he talked to himself.
Congress considers increased cost of permanent national parks for international visitors
In just five years, nearly 400 projects nationwide have invested more than $6.5 billion, which is a better visitor experience in the park. LRF is more than just preservation and repair; it’s about economic strength. It has generated over $8 billion in GDP, supported over 72,000 jobs and tilted billions of dollars Local economy.
But if Congress fails to reauthorize this critical and successful plan, projects will be stopped, repair costs will rise, and communities relying on park tourism will be affected.
Last year alone, 331 million national park visitors were in nearby communities, towns and businesses spent more than $55 billion. These are not abstract numbers; they represent the salaries of guides, waiters, hotel workers, mechanics and small business owners—the livelihood of our neighbors, the lifeblood of American communities.
Throughout Montana and Maine, we have witnessed first-hand the importance of these investments. In Montana, Glacier National Park supports thousands of jobs and maintains the town of Flathead Valley. In Maine, Acadia’s breathtaking coastline fills visitors to local shops and restaurants, while investing in secure trails and restored facilities brings them back. These experiences depend on infrastructure Crash is not allowed.
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Support for such common sense efforts is broad and growing. We heard about this from voters, local elected officials, business leaders and industry associations. More than 50 national organizations have approved this, from economic groups to conservation and heritage advocates. They recognize that what we are seeing is that LRF is not only a good policy, but also a good management of resources and freedoms that define the past, present and future of the United States.
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Reauthorizing LRF is more than just roads and buildings. It’s about protecting where Americans come together, strengthening communities that depend on them, and ensuring future generations inherit the best opportunities to experience America.
As we approach the 250th birthday of the United States, Congress will have the opportunity to reaffirm bipartisan commitments through the good American behavior: Protect the landhistory and freedom unite us. Let’s not let this opportunity pass.
Independent Angus King represents the Maine Senate. He is the former governor of Maine.
