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Updated November 27, 2023
National Park Service: FY2024 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
request and 12% less than the FY2023 appropriation. On
Park System, which includes 425 units valued for their
July 27, 2023, the Senate Committee on Appropriations
natural, cultural, and recreational importance. System lands
reported S. 2605 (S.Rept. 118-83), with $3.457 billion for
cover 81 million federal acres and 4 million nonfederal
NPS for FY2024. This amount is 8% less than the
acres. As part of the Department of the Interior (DOI), NPS
Administration’s request and 1% less than the FY2023
receives funding in annual appropriations laws for Interior,
appropriation (Table 1). Two continuing resolutions have
Environment, and Related Agencies. Selected issues for
provided appropriations at FY2023 levels through February
Congress include the overall staffing levels supported by
2, 2024, or until full-year appropriations are enacted.
NPS appropriations, funding to address NPS’s backlog of
deferred maintenance, allocations for NPS land acquisition,
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
and funds for NPS assistance to nonfederal entities.
NPS has five discretionary appropriations accounts (Figure
1). The majority of NPS discretionary appropriations
FY2024 Appropriations
typically have gone to the Operation of the National Park
The Biden Administration requested $3.764 billion in
System (ONPS) account to support day-to-day activities,
FY2024 discretionary appropriations for NPS. The request
programs, and services at park units. These include resource
was 8% higher than NPS’s FY2023 appropriation of $3.475
stewardship, visitor services, park protection, facility
billion in P.L. 117-328, Division G. (This FY2023 total
operations and maintenance, and administrative costs.
does not include $1.500 billion provided in P.L. 117-328,
Figure 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations Accounts
Division N, as supplemental funding in response to natural
(percentages reflect FY2023 appropriations)
disasters.) The FY2024 request included increases for some
accounts and level funding or reductions for others
compared with FY2023 (Table 1). NPS also estimated
$1.200 billion in mandatory appropriations for FY2024, a
decrease of 2% from estimated NPS mandatory funding for
FY2023. These mandatory appropriations come from
entrance and recreation fees, concessioner fees, donations,
and other sources, and also include land acquisition funding
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF, 54
U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.), designated as mandatory
appropriations by the Great American Outdoors Act
(GAOA; P.L. 116-152). NPS’s mandatory total does not
include NPS’s share from the National Parks and Public
Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF)—the deferred
maintenance fund established by the GAOA—which is
allocated from a DOI department-wide account.
Source: Joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-328.
Notes: ONPS = Operation of the National Park System. NR&P =
On November 3, 2023, the House passed H.R. 4821
National Recreation and Preservation. Data exclude supplemental
(H.Rept. 118-155), with $3.043 billion for NPS for
appropriations in P.L. 117-328 to address natural disasters.
FY2024. This amount is 19% less than the Administration’s
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in millions)
FY2023 Enacted
FY2024
House-Passed
% Change from Senate-Reported % Change from
Account
(P.L. 117-328)
Request
H.R. 4821
FY2023
S. 2605
FY2023
Operation of the Nat’l. Park System
2,923.4
3,189.8
2,654.0
-9%
2,935.0
+<1%
Construction
239.8a
286.6
114.6
-52%
232.9
-3%
Historic Preservation Fund
204.5
177.9
175.4
-14%
195.2
-5%
Nat’l. Recreation and Preservation
92.5
95.2
84.0
-9%
93.4
+1%
Centennial Challenge
15.0
15.0
15.0
—
15.0
—
Total
3,475.3a
3,764.5
3,043.0
-12%
3,457.0b
-1%
Sources: H.R. 4821, H.Rept. 118-155, and S.Rept. 118-83. Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
a. Does not include supplemental funding provided in P.L. 117-328, Division N, to address natural disasters.
b. Total reflects rescissions of $14.5 mil ion in unobligated balances from the Centennial Chal enge and Construction accounts.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Park Service: FY2024 Appropriations
NPS’s Construction account covers repair, replacement,
and “Repair and Rehabilitation” in the ONPS account) have
and improvement of existing facilities as well as new
been primary sources of discretionary funding for NPS DM.
construction. Projects are evaluated based on criteria related
For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 provided $262.7 million for
to the condition of assets, their importance to park
these two budget subactivities. For FY2024, S. 2605 would
purposes, and project benefits and risks. The account also
provide the same amount, and H.R. 4821 does not provide
covers other construction activities and planning.
detail at the level of these subactivities. Portions of other
NPS discretionary budget activities also are used for DM.
NPS administers historic preservation programs through its
Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) account. Under the
The majority of mandatory spending for NPS DM derives
National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. §§300101 et
from the GAOA (P.L. 116-152), enacted in 2020. To
seq.), the HPF receives $150 million annually from offshore
address DM of five agencies, the GAOA established the
energy revenues, but monies are available only as provided
LRF, which receives deposits over five years based on
in appropriations acts. Most funding goes to state and tribal
amounts of federal energy revenues. For FY2021-FY2023,
historic preservation offices as formula grants to preserve
funding met the annual cap of $1.9 billion, with 70%
cultural and historical assets. Congress also has provided
(approximately $1.3 billion per year) allocated to NPS. In
some funding for nationally competitive grant programs.
annual budget justifications, NPS submits DM projects to
be funded from the LRF, and appropriators may specify
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
alternate allocations. For FY2024, the House and Senate
funds NPS programs that assist state, local, tribal, and
committee reports would allocate the funds as proposed by
private land managers with grants for outdoor recreation
NPS. Separately, allocations from the Highway Trust Fund
planning, natural and cultural resource preservation, and
support NPS road repair and improvements, including DM.
other activities. The largest single program funded through
Other mandatory funding sources, such as recreation fees,
the account is NPS assistance to national heritage areas.
also have been used for NPS DM. See CRS In Focus
IF11636, The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-
The Centennial Challenge account supports the National
152); and CRS Report R44924, National Park Service
Park Centennial Challenge Fund (54 U.S.C. §§103501 et
Deferred Maintenance: Frequently Asked Questions.
seq.), which matches donations for projects or programs
that further the NPS mission and visitor experience. The
Land Acquisition Funding
fund also receives offsetting collections from senior pass
The GAOA shifted LWCF land acquisition funding from
sales under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act
discretionary to mandatory spending. For FY2023, NPS
(16 U.S.C. §§6801 et seq.).
received $105.8 million from the LWCF for its own land
Issues for Congress
acquisition (in addition to funds for state grants). The
GAOA requires that agency budget submissions include
NPS Staffing Capacity
program and project allocations for the LWCF funds, and
In March 2023 testimony before the House Appropriations
appropriators may specify alternate allocations. In
Committee, the NPS Director highlighted declines in NPS
committee reports for FY2024, the House would allocate
staffing since FY2011. NPS full-time equivalent (FTE) staff
$105.4 million and the Senate $98.7 million for NPS land
levels have declined by an estimated 12% since that time,
acquisition. For more information, see CRS Report
per agency budget justifications. The estimated decline for
RL33531, Land and Water Conservation Fund: Overview,
the past decade (FY2014-FY2023) is smaller, at 3%.
Funding History, and Issues; and CRS In Focus IF11636,
During that decade, 26 new units were added to the system.
The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152).
(See CRS Report R42757, National Park Service (NPS)
Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends.) Across all accounts,
NPS Assistance to Nonfederal Sites and Programs
NPS’s FY2024 request would support a 7% increase in FTE
Some stakeholders contend that NPS assistance to
staff (from an estimated 19,390 to 20,759). Proposed
nonfederal sites and programs should be reduced, to focus
funding reductions in H.R. 4821 and S. 2605 could impact
on NPS’s “core” mission of managing national parks. In
staffing levels. Separately, P.L. 117-169, commonly known
particular, some argue that national heritage areas, which
as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, appropriated $500.0
are nonfederally managed, should be self-sufficient.
million, available through FY2030, to hire NPS employees.
Congress has increased NPS funding for heritage areas in
the past decade, and new areas have been added. NPS’s
Deferred Maintenance
NR&P and HPF budget accounts are used primarily for
NPS’s backlog of deferred maintenance (DM), estimated by
nonfederal assistance. Combined, they represented less than
NPS at $22.3 billion as of the end of FY2022, has been a
10% of total NPS funding in FY2023. For FY2024, the
significant issue in the appropriations process. Despite
House and Senate bills would decrease combined funding
legislation and agency actions aimed at addressing the
for these accounts, while keeping them at a similar
backlog, it has increased over the past decade, including a
percentage of the NPS total. See CRS Report RL33462,
59% increase between FY2020 and FY2021 that NPS
National Heritage Areas: Background and Issues for
attributes primarily to changes in its methods for estimating
Congress, and CRS Report R45800, The Federal Role in
DM. Congress may continue to assess NPS’s progress in
Historic Preservation: An Overview.
addressing DM, including the balance of discretionary and
mandatory funding provided for this purpose.
Laura B. Comay, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Two discretionary appropriations subactivities (“Line-Item
IF12436
Construction and Maintenance” in the Construction account
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Park Service: FY2024 Appropriations
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12436 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED