You are here

Congress Divided on Centennial Challenge Funding for National Parks

Share

Published Date

December 4, 2007

With time running out, Congress has yet to commit to funding the president's Centennial Challenge for the National Park Service. While the House has committed $50 million towards the campaign, the Senate has not provided any funding.

According to Congress Daily:

The House-passed Interior-Environment Appropriations bill includes a record amount of spending for the national parks, more than $2 billion, but the Senate version reported out of the Appropriations Committee is $88 million smaller.

A large part of the difference is $50 million in the House version toward the Centennial Challenge, which was proposed by the administration to revitalize the park service by its 100th anniversary in 2016, said Melissa Kuckro, a Park Service legislative specialist.

The $50 million makes up half of the president's $100 million per year request for the Centennial Challenge, which would match federal funds with donations from the private sector, Kuckro said,

The president's proposal has been controversial in some circles, as it calls for private funding to match, dollar-for-dollar, any federal funding appropriated for the challenge.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Your support helps the National Parks Traveler increase awareness of the wonders and issues confronting national parks and protected areas.

Support Our Mission

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.