USNPS maintenance backlog now just shy of $12b
Like a homeowner trying to patch numerous leaks in a roof during a rainstorm, the National Park Service (NPS) urgently needs help to address a backlog of maintenance issues across its more than 400 sites.
Last year, the NPS tackled $671 million worth of deferred maintenance projects—one of its highest annual totals. Yet the agency’s 2018 assessment of its more than 75,000 assets—for example, visitor centers, cultural artifacts, historic buildings, cemeteries and battlefields, marinas, electrical and water systems, campgrounds, and memorials—showed that deferred repair needs add up to $11.9 billion, a $300 million increase from 2017.