After dodging a blow that would have come with a government shutdown, the National Park Service is focused on a bigger challenge in Congress as it struggles to catch up with a maintenance backlog of more than $22 billion.
Just three years ago, when Congress enacted a law to provide up to $1.3 billion annually for five years to rebuild trails, roads, bridges, shelters, visitor centers and other facilities, the backlog was around $14 billion.
But the new management in the Biden administration decided the funds would be better spent on long-term solutions rather than short-term Band-Aid projects, and the needs are now estimated to be $22.3 billion.
