UNITED STATES — On June 3, President Biden signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 into law to effectively suspend the nation’s debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025, but the move could disrupt the National Park Service (NPS) operations in critical ways.
The new Fiscal Responsibility Act will create “flat funding” for Fiscal 2024, which begins Oct. 1, ultimately capping the Department of the Interior’s funding at a reduced amount from Fiscal 2023 funding. The Act will also cap spending at one percent growth for Fiscal 2025.
In a March 17 letter from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to Representative Rosa L. DeLauro of the House Appropriations Committee, Haaland confirmed the Fiscal 2024 proposed cap would have “very real and damaging impacts” by forcing hiring freezes and cuts to the number of full time and seasonal national park employees and compromising the protection of park visitors, resources and wildlife.
“This deal would undo years of work, potentially jeopardizing the protection, maintenance and operation of our more than 420 national parks across the country,” said the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in a May 31 press release.
Back in March, President Biden proposed $3.8 billion for the NPS budget in Fiscal 2024, roughly an eight percent increase over current funding. According to the NPS, that budget increase would have allowed needed investments in conservation, racial justice and equity within parks, scientific research and park staffing, capacity and safety enforcement.
“The agreement reached could do serious damage to our national parks and impact all who visit them,” said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of NPCA, in the press release. “It’s unrealistic to expect our national parks to meet their mission to protect park resources and safely welcome millions of visitors with even less money and less staff.”
Wyoming Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis were among 36 senators who opposed the debt ceiling legislation.
