CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
title
A RESOLUTION requesting Congress to allocate funding to adequately address the maintenance needs of the National Park System.
body
WHEREAS, America’s National Park System is a living testament to our citizens’ valor, our nation’s hardships, our victories, and our traditions as Americans, and has been called “America’s Best Idea;” and
WHEREAS, the National Park System preserves the diversity, culture, and heritage of all Americans, and serves as a living classroom for future generations; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, the National Park Service is celebrating its centennial and currently manages 410 nationally significant sites and an invaluable collection of more than 75,000 natural and cultural assets that span 84 million acres across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories and insular areas; and
WHEREAS, Washington State has 15 national parks and 42 natural and historic landmarks and monuments, and The City of Seattle provides the gateway to many of the parks, including two of the most visited and popular parks in Washington State: Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park; and
WHEREAS, the National Park Service’s mission is to “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations”; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, the National Park System had more than 305 million visits nationally and 7.6 million in Washington State; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, National Park Service estimates indicate that park visitors spent more than $470.1 million in Washington State at the sites and local communities adjacent to national parks, including $270 million for Olympic National Park and $45.7 million for Mount Rainier National Park; and
WHEREAS, the National Park Service has the obligation to preserve our nation’s history; promote access to national parks for all citizens; stimulate revenue to sustain itself and nearby communities; educate the public about America’s natural, cultural, and historical resources; and provide safe facilities and environs to enjoy these resources; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, the National Park Service estimated a deferred maintenance backlog of nearly $12 billion nationally and $510 million in Washington State, which includes repairs to aging historical structures, trails, sewers, drainage, thousands of miles of roads, bridges, tunnels, and other vital infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of Congress to maintain America’s national parks to ensure our natural places and our history are preserved and documented for future generations, and for the adjacent communities, such as Seattle, that enjoy the direct and indirect economic benefits generated by visits to national park sites; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. The City of Seattle strongly encourages Congress to create a reliable, predictable stream of funding to address the deferred maintenance needs in America’s National Park System. Solutions could include: reforming the current system of entrance, recreation, and commercial franchise fees; providing additional federal funding to leverage private dollars for infrastructure repairs; and providing increased funding through the federal Highway Trust Fund to support construction and upkeep of park roads, bridges, and tunnels.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2017, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2017.
____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council
The Mayor concurred the ________ day of _________________________, 2017.
____________________________________
Edward B. Murray, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2017.
____________________________________
Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)