President Biden is proposing a $3.8 billion FY24 budget for the National Park Service/Rebecca Latson file photo of Lake Grinnell in Glacier National Park

Editor's note: This adds comment from the National Parks Conservation Association.

President Biden's budget request for Fiscal year 2024 calls for $3.8 billion for the National Park Service, an 8 percent increase over current funding and which includes a more than $250 million increase in funding for park operations with additional investments in disaster recovery, tribal collaboration, and employee housing.

Though the Republican-controlled House of Representatives likely will give short shrift to the president's request, it lays out his priorities and vision for the course of the country. 

Biden's request demonstrates how many different roles the Park Service plays. For instance, it includes funding for:

• Advancing racial equity
• Supporting underserved communities
• Dealing with climate change in the National Park System
• Conserving natural resources
• Supporting science in the parks
• Addressing electric vehicle charging needs
• Updating the Park Service's IT systems
• Preserving historic sites
• Cleaning up abandoned mine sites

As proposed the budget would support total staffing of 20,797 full-time equivalent positions, an increase of 1,369 from current levels.

National Park Service Director Chuck Sams was not available to comment on the request, but in a prepared statement said the $3.8 billion request, an increase of $289.2 million from current funding, "proposes investments essential for the NPS’s continued success in its second century, while remaining committed to the daily mission of ensuring that all Americans can access, enjoy, and learn in every national park. This budget supports and strengthens our commitment to the public, from supporting new parks to connecting with communities and tribes to improving in park and digital experiences for visitors.”  

The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks said the request, if adopted by Congress, would "help to address the loss of operational capacity at parks and program offices throughout the National Park System, in addition to providing increased funding for the NPS maintenance backlog and the critical protection of natural and cultural resources."

"For years, our national parks have grappled with inadequate operating budgets and staff reductions while trying to manage dramatically increasing visitation," said Mike Murray, chair of the Coalition's Executive Committee. "This budget would help to address the safety concerns and degraded visitor experiences that are a direct result of parks being overcrowded, understaffed, and underfunded.

"The president’s budget includes an increase of $266.3 million in funding for park operations and their support services," he added. "As the appropriations process moves forward, the Coalition strongly urges Congress to focus on enhancing and building operational capacity at national parks. The NPS also still needs funding to ensure that fixed costs are covered, and staff positions lost over the past decade are restored at parks and program offices."

At the National Parks Conservation Association, President and CEO Theresa Pierno called the funding proposal a great investment into the National Park System.

“When we invest in our national parks, our environment, economy and communities thrive. The Biden administration clearly understands what NPCA has been saying for years. By taking care of our parks, we also protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the wildlife that call these landscapes home and the millions of people who recreate in our wild spaces. Today’s budget proposal would benefit parks and communities for years to come," said Pierno. “Visitation to our parks has skyrocketed over the last decade. But because of federal funding shortfalls, far too many park managers are struggling to make ends meet, and doing so with less staff and resources. On top of their growing popularity, parks are dealing with costly damage from severe and frequent floods, wildfires, hurricanes and droughts due to climate change.

"As we’ve witnessed through Yellowstone’s historic flooding and declining water levels at Lake Mead, these impacts trickle down to visitors and impact communities that rely on park tourism. Increased funding to parks would provide more resources to make them stronger and more staff to ensure their protection while providing meaningful and safe visitor experiences."

As proposed, the request calls for:

• $3.2 billion for operation of the National Park System, an increase of $266.3 million over current funding.
• $509.6 million for Resource Stewardship
• $300.3 million for Visitor Services
• $457.7 million for Park Protection
• $983.0 million for Facilities Operations and Maintenance
• $697.3 million for Park Support
• $241.8 million for External Administrative Costs.

Additionally, it seeks:

• $95.2 million for National Recreation and Preservation, a $2.7 million increase from the FY 2023 enacted budget
• $177.9 million for the agency's Historic Preservation Fund, a $26.6 million reduction from FY 2023 due to the removal of congressionally directed funding provided in 2023
• $286.6 million for the Park Service's construction fund, which is a $46.8 million increase

The president also is seeking $7 million to help address employee housing by building new or rehabilitating existing housing where local market data show limited availability of affordable housing for purchase or rent. Biden also is asking for $4.1 million for climate vulnerability assessments to improve park resiliency, $2 million for hazard mitigation at abandoned mineral land sites, and an increase of $10.7 million for the deployment of zero emission vehicles and associated infrastructure. The request also includes $7 million to address transportation barriers from underserved communities to national parks as part of efforts to expand national parks visitation to all communities.