Park Service Budget Bump to Benefit D.C.
DCist happened to attend the Department of the Interior's budget briefing yesterday, where we learned that the Administration has listed the "National Park Centennial Challenge" as one of its budget priorities for fiscal year 2008. This new project, which intends to improve the Nation's national parks, monuments, and other historical sites in preparation for the Park Service's centennial in 2016, comes with a large increase in spending: $290 million more than the current funding level. Plus, given our high concentration of Park sites, a good chunk of those funds will be coming home to D.C.: $3.95 million more that the last enacted funding level, just for parks in the District. That doesn't even include system-wide improvements that will benefit D.C. as well.
Photo from flickr user dbking.
Most of the funds are targeted to increasing services for Park visitors. For instance, there is a concerted effort to increase the cleanliness of restrooms along the National Mall, and to increase the number of trash receptacles around the monuments and walkways. They also plan to add ranger services to less well-known areas like the L.B.J. Grove which sits across the river, but is still part of D.C.
The Park Service is excited about of all this. Director Mary Bomar was moved to thank Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne from the floor for requesting the large budget increase. After the main announcement, she was staffing the Park Service booth herself, happily flipping through pages of budget numbers and rattling off descriptions of special projects to questioners. "This is the biggest budget ever for the National Park Service," Bomar told DCist, "and we're especially pleased to increase funding in the National Capital Region."
Granted, a good chunk of the budget increase will go to the monuments that many D.C. residents only visit when guests are in town, but there are budget increases that will benefit the locals as well. For instance, the Park Service will focus on improvements for the Baltimore-Washington and George Washington Parkways, the C & O Canal, and National Capital Parks-East which handles the decidedly non-touristy Capitol Hill parks, Anacostia Park, Fort Dupont Park, and the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. You Northwesties will be happy to learn that Rock Creek Park is slated for a big increase as well, with much of that funding bump to go towards improvements to the landscape and fountain repairs in Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park.
The Park Police, which came under scrutiny last summer for several violent crimes on the National Mall, is also slated for a budget increase: $7.9 million above the current spending level. Not only will this provide for enhancements for the current force, but will also add 32 more officers to the beat nationwide. The Park Service didn't have the regional breakdown available, but one would hope that the Service would respond with D.C. area officers in order to support one of their biggest advocates.
These budget increases aren't necessarily a done deal, as the House and Senate Appropriations Committee must have their say throughout this year's spending debates; they could very well change the spending levels to reflect their own priorities. Are there any improvements you'd like to see to parks around the region? Are you excited as we are for the 2016 National Park Service Centennial?