National parks and public lands in New York and nationwide are proving to be an important issue in this year’s election.
Despite increasing divisiveness, Americans across the political spectrum agree on keeping national parks well-funded but it has not been the case in more than a decade. Although park visitation has grown, staffing has dropped 23% since 2010.
Saad Amer, founder of the consulting firm Justice Environment, said New York lawmakers have mixed voting records with national parks.
“When we see members of Congress consistently voting against our cultural legacy and against conservation, I think it is quite indicative of the type of member of Congress that they are,” Amer asserted.
The National Parks Action Fund’s scorecard shows the state’s GOP Congressional lawmakers have poor voting records on the issue, because most if not all opposed bills supporting funding for the National Parks System. Amer noted supporting funding for national parks and not undermining the Antiquities Act can improve the grades on the scorecard.
Despite decades of underfunding through other means, the Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law in 2020. It allocated funding for public lands and national park maintenance and facility upgrades.
Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of the National Parks Conservation Association, said bipartisan support for national parks comes and goes, but it is important to hold people accountable for the effects of their votes.
“We have more people getting Fs on our scorecard than As,” Brengel reported. “It’s really disappointing to see that, but this is why it’s so important to hold members of Congress accountable and to have their constituents see what grade they got and push them in the next Congress to do better.”
With early voting underway, advocates said the issue can be seen as a barometer for how a candidate for office aligns with someone’s values. Although Congress controls the federal budget, the president has the final veto.
Amer added with the system of funding in mind, the top of the ticket greatly affects the future of national parks.
“It’s always good to have a president who is in favor of our national parks,” Amer emphasized. “We need to make sure that whoever is elected understands the importance of our national parks, and how deeply Americans care about that issue.”
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.