WASHINGTON, D.C. – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), today called on the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the National Park Service’s administrative structure and spending habits in an effort to save the taxpayer money.

In a letter to GAO Comptroller Gene L. Dodaro, the senators said the National Park Service’s continually growing maintenance backlog raises questions about the agency’s efficiency and priorities that should be addressed. 

“Last year alone, the National Park Service delayed more than a quarter billion dollars in much needed maintenance projects, adding another substantial sum to the over $11.5 billion deferred maintenance backlog already threatening the health, safety, and accessibility of park visitors,” the senators wrote. “In the current fiscally-constrained environment, effective allocation of resources is especially important and it is our understanding that a formal review of the National Park Service has never been conducted.”

To ensure that the National Park Service is operating efficiently, the senators requested that GAO look at the following key issues:

• Review of the service’s administrative structure to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and opportunities for savings;
• Review the Recreation Fee program, including details on how fee receipts are allocated;
• Identify options for reducing the current deferred maintenance backlog, including identification of underutilized revenue sources and suggestions for improving revenue streams.

The full letter can be read here.

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