Remarks of Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Ariz.
Dec. 13, 2008 • Santa Fe, N.M.

Let me begin by thanking Bill Wade for that kind introduction. While Bill had an impressive career, I think he may be having even more impact on national parks and the National Park Service as a so-called “retiree.” For anyone who is wondering, when I retire I plan on doing far less with my time than Bill Wade. Seriously, thank you, Bill, for all you do.

Let me also congratulate ANPR on your 30th anniversary. I realize I am a year late but, the way the calendar works in Washington, a year late is actually several years early so my timing is better than usual.

Also, it is my understanding that one of my heroes, Stewart Udall, had been scheduled to be here but was unable to attend. I know you all join me in wishing him a very speedy recovery. We will be sending two Udalls to the United States Senate next year and while we are sad to lose such able leaders in the House, they will be great additions to the House of Lords.

While I will go into a few specifics in a moment, I really only have one message for you today: the damage that has been done to our national parks, and to the men and women working for the National Park Service, can and will be undone.

The new administration and the next Congress, working with groups like ANPR and others, can reverse the underfunding, the neglect, the sagging morale, the rejection of science — all of the impacts resulting from the misplaced priorities over the last eight years — if we work together.

Elections have consequences and one of the consequences of this election is that we will reassert this nation’s role as a world leader in the conservation and interpretation of natural and cultural resources, and the NPS will be at the forefront of those efforts.

Of course, turning things around is going to take time and it is going to take money. We need to set realistic goals and be strategic in trying to accomplish them.

For example, while the economic recession is creating terrible problems for families across this country, it may also be an opportunity for parks. One of the most urgent needs facing the NPS is to repair park roads, buildings, trails and other infrastructure left crumbling after years of budget neglect.

It is my hope that through a new “green jobs” program as part of a larger economic stimulus package, repairing our parks could play a significant role in helping repair our economy.

The health of our national parks and the quality of the visitor experience can also be dramatically improved in short order by returning balance to the management of energy production and off-highway vehicle use on our public lands and in our parks.

For too long, decisions regarding these and other activities impacting air and water quality and other park resources have been made based on the politics, rather than on the merits. That is going to stop.

An important tool in accomplishing this change will be the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA is not a barrier to be evaded or undermined; it is a tool to be used for more reasoned and more transparent decision-making. A renewed commitment by the new administration and the next Congress to rigorous NEPA work will improve park health and restore public faith.

We are also going to abandon the tired proposition that a time of budget difficulty is not the time to pursue ambitious policies such as wilderness designations or land acquisition. That is a false choice created by people content to think small.

Park wilderness is not created by legislation — wilderness-quality lands within parks already exist; we just need to enact legislation recognizing and preserving them. Arguments that such designations are somehow efforts to “lock up” our parks were never valid and will no longer hold sway.

Legislation authorizing the purchase of in-holdings from willing sellers will no longer be dismissed as a “land grab.” It is possible to both repair existing park resources while also expanding federal land ownership. Both make parks stronger.

I would also welcome input from ANPR and others on significant policy issues such as concessions management, partnerships and the implementation of recreational fee authority in national parks. In these and others areas, chronic underfunding created a significant gap. Fortunately, private funding has filled that gap but long-term strategies for managing these relationships need to be evaluated.

Finally, a word about the centennial. Chairman Rahall and I, and our Senate counterparts, spent a great deal of time thinking about how to commemorate the past and prepare for the future of the National Park Service. As you know, we didn’t reach agreement on how to fund this effort but we fully intend to try again; the century mark is simply too important a milestone to let pass.

While we will be broadly re-examining the Centennial Initiative, I don’t intend to reinvent the wheel. We did a lot of good work on this initiative, and many of those ideas will be a part of any new proposal.

Our fundamental principles will not change: we cannot pursue a Centennial bill that robs Peter to pay Paul; we cannot focus solely on money for more bricks and mortar; and we cannot allow the availability of private funding to dictate which projects get funded and which don’t.

I know there has been some controversy here so I want to be clear: there are many organizations and individuals who can assist the National Park Service in accomplishing its mission through the Centennial bill. However, there is nobody who can accomplish that mission better than the National Park Service, and any Centennial bill I support will respect that.

Working together, we can produce a Centennial bill that will help create a National Park Service that is better funded, better trained, more diverse and better equipped going into the next century.

Those of us who love national parks have weathered some stormy days. I am here to tell you, however, that the future looks very bright, and I look forward to working with you all as we move toward it. Thank you.

The office of Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva released a 23-page report on Nov. 14, 2008. Entitled "A Report on the Bush Administration Assaults on Our National Parks, Forests and Public Lands (A Partial List," it highlights the Bush administration’s failure to protect our public lands. Download the report here: Grijalva Report.