U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) joined two of her Wyoming colleagues in urging expedited federal support for Yellowstone National Park, recently ravaged by historic and unprecedented flooding.
Severe rainfall during the week of June 12 produced floodwaters and rockslides that caused significant damage to vital infrastructure in and around the park, including roads and bridges, according to a June 17 letter that Rep. Cheney and Wyoming’s two GOP senators sent to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“This damage has created substantial interruptions to park operations that will continue to occur until repairs can be made,” the lawmakers wrote. “The timely and efficient delivery of funds is imperative to restoring park operations and helping gateway communities. We urge you to use all of your current authorities and funding to help [the] National Park Service address this disaster.”
Rep. Cheney and the senators requested that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provide emergency relief funds to help start repairs and fulfill the National Park Service’s initial needs.
“Once such funding has been provided, we ask that FHWA continue to deliver sufficient emergency funding to Yellowstone National Park on an as-needed basis for critical emergency repairs and resiliency improvements,” they wrote, noting that any future funding requests from federal, state and local partners also be considered as they help repair damaged infrastructure.
“Your ability to quickly and effectively respond to the infrastructure and disaster-response needs of the Park Service will have an immense impact on Yellowstone, its millions of annual visitors, and the gateway communities whose economies depend on the park,” wrote Rep. Cheney and the senators.