WASHINGTON – President Bush traveled to Shenandoah National Park yesterday to promote his proposal to increase funding for national parks by $258 million next year, the first step in a plan to spend as much as $3 billion in public and private money on the popular attractions over the coming decade.
Bush's proposal, which critics called a sharp turn for a president whose previous budgets did not address maintenance and staffing problems at parks across the country, targets one of the few domestic areas where he has called for funding significant new initiatives in his fiscal 2008 spending plan.
The plan would pump $1 billion into the nation's 390 national parks and monuments by 2016, the park system's centennial. The proposal, which must be approved by Congress, would also call on private donors and philanthropies to donate as much as an additional $1 billion. The donated funds would be matched by the federal government.
“It's a bold program that calls upon the government to do its part, as well as our citizens to become invested in a campaign to really enhance the parks,” Bush said. “The funding starts with a billion-dollar request over the next 10 years that I'll send up to Congress. It's really to enhance the operating missions of our parks. I'm looking forward to working with both Republicans and Democrats to get this initiative passed.”
Bush's proposal was applauded by parks advocates who say it is a much-needed boost for a park system straining to provide services for 270 million visitors a year. But some critics were leery of relying in part on private donations.
