President Barack Obama signed a measure into law that U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) led to mark the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary and to help fund conservation projects going forward.
The National Park Service Centennial Act establishes a National Park Centennial Challenge Fund within the Treasury Department to help support signature projects. A Second Century Endowment for the National Park System will also help attract private donations to pay for a $12 billion backlog in projects.
“Ohio is blessed to have eight National Park sites, including a top 10 most visited park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which attracts more than 2.2 million visitors every year,” Portman said. “This new law will help the National Park Service maintain these sites and preserve the cultural heritage of our great country for future generations.”
As the former director of the White House Office of Management and Budget in 2006, Portman helped former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush draft the original National Park Service Centennial Challenge Initiative to generate new public and private investments for the centennial in 2016.
Portman said the initiative would not have been signed into law without the support of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
“I look forward to working in the future to continue improving the visitor experience and increasing visits to our national parks for their second century,” Portman concluded.