National Park Service (NPS) Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends

National Park Service (NPS) Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends

National Park Service (NPS) Appropriations:
Ten-Year Trends
Updated February 7, 2024
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R42757

National Park Service (NPS) Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends

Summary
The National Park Service (NPS) receives appropriations in the annual Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies appropriations bill. Over the past decade (FY2014-FY2023), NPS received both
regular (annual) appropriations and, in some years, supplemental appropriations to address
damage from hurricanes and other natural disasters. NPS’s regular appropriations fluctuated
during the decade but increased overall in both nominal and inflation-adjusted dollars. The
FY2023 regular appropriation of $3.475 billion was 36% higher than FY2014 in nominal dollars
and 7% higher in inflation-adjusted dollars. NPS also received disaster-related supplemental
appropriations in FY2018, FY2019, FY2022, and FY2023. These funds were provided outside of
regular appropriations laws and were not subject to discretionary spending caps. In addition to
regular and supplemental discretionary appropriations, the agency also has mandatory sources of
funding, including both NPS-specific funding and allocations from Department of the Interior
(DOI)-wide accounts.
During the FY2014-FY2023 period, NPS’s discretionary appropriations generally were organized
in six accounts. Funding for five accounts increased over the decade in inflation-adjusted dollars.
These included NPS’s largest account, which supports basic park operations, along with accounts
that fund construction and major repairs, grants for historic preservation activities, assistance to
nonfederal entities for natural and cultural resource preservation, and “Centennial Challenge”
grants to spur partner donations for park improvements. A sixth account, with funding for federal
land acquisition and outdoor recreation assistance to states, was shifted after FY2020 from
discretionary to mandatory spending.
The funding changes took place in the context of a 10% increase in park visitation over the
decade, despite a drop in visits in 2020 as the nation was affected by the Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The size of the National Park System remained roughly stable in
terms of acreage, but 23 new units (many of relatively small size) were added to the system.
Notwithstanding the growth in NPS appropriations, agency staffing levels declined by 3% over
the decade.
A significant issue for NPS throughout the decade was the agency’s multibillion-dollar backlog of
deferred maintenance—infrastructure maintenance and repairs that were not performed as
scheduled or as needed. For two discretionary budget activities (within larger budget accounts)
that primarily address both regular and deferred maintenance, the combined funding grew in
inflation-adjusted terms. In addition, enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-
152) in August 2020 provided a new source of mandatory spending to address NPS deferred
maintenance.
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Contents
NPS Discretionary Appropriations Totals ....................................................................................... 1
Individual NPS Accounts ................................................................................................................ 3
Operation of the National Park System Account....................................................................... 5
Construction Account ................................................................................................................ 6
Historic Preservation Fund ........................................................................................................ 8
National Recreation and Preservation Account ......................................................................... 9
Centennial Challenge .............................................................................................................. 10
Land Acquisition and State Assistance Account ...................................................................... 11
NPS Appropriations in Context ..................................................................................................... 12
Visits to the National Parks ..................................................................................................... 13
National Park Service Staffing ................................................................................................ 14
Size of the National Park System ............................................................................................ 15
Concluding Summary .................................................................................................................... 16

Figures
Figure 1. National Park Service (NPS) Discretionary Appropriations, FY2014-FY2023............... 2
Figure 2. NPS’s FY2023 Discretionary Appropriations by Account ............................................... 3
Figure 3. Appropriations for NPS’s Operation of the National Park System (ONPS)
Account, FY2014-FY2023 ........................................................................................................... 5
Figure 4. Appropriations for NPS’s Construction Account, FY2014-FY2023 ................................ 6
Figure 5. Appropriations for Two NPS Discretionary Budget Activities That Primarily
Address Maintenance and Repairs, FY2014-FY2023 .................................................................. 7
Figure 6. Appropriations for NPS’s Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) Account, FY2014-
FY2023 ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 7. Appropriations for NPS’s National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P)
Account, FY2014-FY2023 ......................................................................................................... 10
Figure 8. Appropriations for NPS’s Centennial Challenge Account, FY2014-FY2023 ................. 11
Figure 9. Appropriations for NPS’s Land Acquisition and State Assistance (LASA)
Account, FY2014-FY2023 ......................................................................................................... 12
Figure 10. Annual Recreational Visits to the National Park System, 2014-2023 .......................... 13
Figure 11. NPS Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff, FY2014-FY2023 .......................................... 14

Tables
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations, FY2014-FY2023 ....................................................... 2
Table 2. NPS Appropriations by Account, FY2014-FY2023 .......................................................... 4
Table 3. Annual Recreational Visits to the National Park System, 2014-2023 ............................. 13
Table 4. NPS Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff, FY2014-FY2023 .............................................. 14
Table 5. Size of the National Park System, FY2014-FY2023 ....................................................... 15

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Contacts
Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 16

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he National Park Service (NPS) administers the National Park System, which covers
85 million acres of land and consists of 428 diverse units included for their natural,
T cultural, and recreational importance. NPS is part of the Department of the Interior (DOI)
and receives appropriations in the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
appropriations bill. This report examines trends in the agency’s discretionary appropriations over
the past decade (FY2014-FY2023). It also discusses changes in NPS staffing levels, numbers of
recreational visits to the parks, and the size of the National Park System during that period.
NPS Discretionary Appropriations Totals
NPS’s discretionary appropriations generally increased during the past decade (FY2014-FY2023),
with some fluctuation. Regular discretionary appropriations (which exclude supplemental
appropriations) totaled $2.562 billion in FY2014 and $3.475 billion in FY2023. The FY2023
figure was 36% higher than FY2014 in nominal dollars and 7% higher when adjusted for inflation
(Figure 1 and Table 1). The regular appropriations generally increased from year to year (in
nominal dollars) but declined in FY2021, partly owing to the August 2020 enactment of the Great
American Outdoors Act (GAOA; P.L. 116-152), which shifted some funding previously provided
through discretionary appropriations to mandatory spending (see text box, below). NPS received
supplemental appropriations for response to natural disasters in FY2018 (P.L. 115-123), FY2019
(P.L. 116-20), FY2022 (P.L. 117-43), and FY2023 (P.L. 117-328).1 These funds, provided outside
of regular appropriations, were not subject to discretionary spending caps. The FY2023
supplemental appropriation ($1.500 billion) was considerably higher than those of other years.
Mandatory Appropriations in the National Park Service’s (NPS’s) Budget
Much of NPS’s funding comes from discretionary appropriations, which are control ed by annual appropriations
laws. However, NPS also receives mandatory appropriations under various laws, which allow the agency to spend
money without further action by Congress. NPS estimated its mandatory appropriations for FY2023 at $1.220
bil ion. The mandatory funding includes, among others, recreation fees, concession franchise fees, receipts from
leasing, direct cash donations, and funding for NPS land acquisition and assistance to states from the Land and
Water Conservation Fund (LWCF, 54 U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.). Through FY2020, the LWCF funding had been
provided as discretionary appropriations in NPS’s Land Acquisition and State Assistance (LASA) account, but it
was made mandatory by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA; P.L. 116-152). Separately, in FY2022, NPS
received mandatory appropriations of $700 mil ion from P.L. 117-169, commonly known as the Inflation Reduction
Act of 2022 (IRA), for employee hiring ($500 mil ion) and deferred maintenance ($200 mil ion).
NPS also receives allocations from accounts in the Department of the Interior, which do not appear in either
mandatory or discretionary appropriations totals in NPS budget justifications. In FY2023, these included NPS’s
share from the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), the deferred maintenance fund
established by the GAOA. NPS may receive up to $1.330 bil ion annually for five years (FY2021-FY2025) from the
LRF and has received the maximum each year to date. NPS also received an FY2023 allocation from the
Department of the Interior (DOI) of $195 mil ion for conservation, resilience, and ecosystem restoration, from
funds provided by the IRA (in addition to the IRA funding described above). Other DOI allocations to NPS in
FY2023 included $339 mil ion from the Federal Lands Transportation Program under P.L. 117-58, the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

1 The figures and tables in this report generally reflect rescissions and supplemental appropriations to date, including
from P.L. 115-123 in response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria (FY2018); P.L. 116-20 in response to Hurricanes
Florence and Michael, Typhoons Yutu and Mangkhut, and other natural disasters (FY2019); P.L. 117-43 in response to
wildfires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters in calendar years 2019-2021 (FY2022); and P.L. 117-328 in response
to wildfires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters occurring in and prior to calendar year 2023 (FY2023). The data
exclude permanent budget authorities and generally do not reflect transfers or scorekeeping adjustments. Adjustments
for inflation (shown in 2014 dollars) use the GDP Chained Price Index from White House Office of Management and
Budget, Historical Tables, Table 10.1, “Gross Domestic Product and Deflators Used in the Historical Tables—1940-
2023,” at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/historical-tables/.
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National Park Service (NPS) Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends

Figure 1. National Park Service (NPS) Discretionary Appropriations,
FY2014-FY2023
($ billions, in nominal and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars)

Sources: Data for FY2014-FY2022 are from NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2024. Data for FY2023 are
from P.L. 117-328 (FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations), Divisions G and N.
Note: See footnote 1 for additional information on this figure.
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations, FY2014-FY2023
($ billions, in nominal and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars; excludes supplemental appropriations)
Appropriation in
Appropriation in
% Change Since Previous Year

Nominal $
Inflation-Adjusted 2014 $
Nominal
Inflation-Adjusted
FY2014
2.562
2.562
—
—
FY2015
2.615
2.585
+2%
+1%
FY2016
2.851
2.796
+9%
+8%
FY2017
2.932
2.825
+3%
+1%
FY2018a
3.202
3.014
+9%
+7%
FY2019b
3.223
2.975
+1%
-1%
FY2020b
3.377
3.077
+5%
+3%
FY2021
3.123
2.752
-8%
-11%
FY2022c
3.265
2.691
+5%
-2%
FY2023d
3.475
2.732
+6%
+2%
Change Over Decadee
+0.914
+0.171
+36%
+7%
Sources: Data for FY2014-FY2022 are from NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2024. Data for FY2023 are
from P.L. 117-328 (FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations).
Notes: Amounts exclude supplemental appropriations. Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding. See
footnote 1 for additional information on this table.
a. In addition to the FY2018 regular appropriation of $3.202 bil ion, Congress provided supplemental
appropriations of $0.258 bil ion in response to natural disasters. With the supplemental included, the total
appropriation for FY2018 represented an 18% increase over FY2017 in nominal dol ars and a 15% increase
in inflation-adjusted dol ars.
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b. In addition to the FY2019 regular appropriation of $3.223 bil ion, Congress provided supplemental
appropriations of $0.128 bil ion in response to natural disasters. With the supplementals for both FY2018
and FY2019 included, the FY2019 appropriation was 3% less than FY2018 in nominal dol ars and 5% less in
inflation-adjusted dol ars. With the FY2019 supplemental included, the FY2020 appropriation was 1% higher
than FY2019 in nominal dol ars and 1% lower in inflation-adjusted dol ars.
c. In addition to the FY2022 regular appropriation of $3.265 bil ion, Congress provided supplemental
appropriations of $0.229 bil ion in supplemental appropriations in response to natural disasters. With the
supplemental included, the FY2022 appropriation was a 12% increase over FY2021 in nominal dol ars and a
5% increase in inflation-adjusted dol ars.
d. In addition to the FY2023 regular appropriation of $3.475 bil ion, Congress provided supplemental
appropriations of $1.500 bil ion in response to natural disasters. With the supplementals for both FY2022
and FY2023 included, the FY2023 appropriation was 42% more than FY2022 in nominal dol ars and 36%
more in inflation-adjusted dol ars.
e. Excludes supplemental appropriations for FY2023 in response to natural disasters. Including the FY2023
supplemental, the increase was $2.414 bil ion (+94%) in nominal dol ars and $1.350 bil ion (+53%) in
inflation-adjusted dol ars.
Individual NPS Accounts
During the decade, NPS’s appropriations were organized in up to six accounts that covered basic
park operations (Operation of the National Park System, or ONPS, account); construction and
repair of infrastructure (Construction account); grants for historic preservation (Historic
Preservation Fund); assistance to nonfederal land managers (National Recreation and
Preservation account); matching grants for NPS projects and programs (Centennial Challenge
account); and NPS land acquisition and outdoor recreation grants to states (Land Acquisition and
State Assistance account). The largest share of NPS’s discretionary appropriations—84% in
FY2023, excluding supplemental appropriations—went to the ONPS account, which covers basic
park operations (Figure 2 and Table 2).
Figure 2. NPS’s FY2023 Discretionary Appropriations by Account

Source: Joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-328.
Notes: ONPS = Operation of the National Park Service; NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation; HPF =
Historic Preservation Fund; Centennial = Centennial Challenge; supp. = supplemental appropriations. Figures are
in nominal dol ars. Percentages may not sum precisely due to rounding.

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Table 2. NPS Appropriations by Account, FY2014-FY2023
($ millions, in nominal dollars and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars; excludes supplemental appropriations)

ONPS
Construction
HPF
NR&P
CC
LASA
Totala
FY2014
2,236.753
137.461
56.410
60.795
—
98.100
2,561.679
FY2015
2,275.773
138.339
56.410
63.117
10.000
98.960
2,614.789
Inflation-Adjusted
2,249.978
136.771
55.771
62.402
9.887
97.838
2,585.152
FY2016
2,369.596
192.937
65.410
62.632
15.000
173.670
2,851.285
Inflation-Adjusted
2,323.484
189.183
64.137
61.413
14.708
170.290
2,795.800
FY2017
2,425.018
209.353
80.910
62.638
20.000
162.029
2,932.018
Inflation-Adjusted
2,336.119
201.678
77.944
60.342
19.267
156.089
2,824.533
FY2018
2,477.969
359.704b
96.910b
63.638
23.000
180.941
3,202.162b
Inflation-Adjusted
2,332.365
338.568
91.216
59.899
21.649
170.309
3,014.004
FY2019
2,502.711
364.704c
102.660c
64.138
20.000
168.444
3,222.657c
Inflation-Adjusted
2,310.400
336.680
94.772
59.210
18.463
155.501
2,975.025
FY2020
2,576.992
389.345
118.660
71.166
15.000
206.121
3,377.284
Inflation-Adjusted
2,347.655
354.696
108.100
64.833
13.665
187.777
3,076.725
FY2021
2,688.287
223.907
144.300
74.157
15.000
[-23.000]d
3,122.651
Inflation-Adjusted
2,369.400
197.347
127.183
65.360
13.221
[-20.272]
2,752.239
FY2022
2,767.028
225.984e
173.072
83.910
15.000
—d
3,264.994e
Inflation-Adjusted
2,280.771
186.271
142.658
69.164
12.364
2,691.228
FY2023
2,923.424
239.803f
204.515
92.512
15.000
—d
3,475.254f
Inflation-Adjusted
2,298.352
188.530
160.787
72.732
11.793
2,732.192
Sources: Data for FY2014-FY2022 are from NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2024. Data for FY2023 are
from the joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-328.
Notes: ONPS = Operation of the National Park System account; NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation
account; HPF = Historic Preservation Fund account; LASA = Land Acquisition and State Assistance account;
CC = Centennial Challenge account. Data exclude supplemental appropriations. See footnote 1 for additional
information on this table.
a. Totals for FY2014-FY2017 reflect rescissions of LWCF contract authority of approximately $30.0 mil ion
(annual amounts vary due to sequestration). Because these rescissions are not tied to an individual account,
the figures for the individual accounts do not add up to the totals shown. Congress did not enact the
rescissions of contract authority in FY2018-FY2023 appropriations. (Separately, the FY2020 and FY2021
appropriations contained rescissions and/or cancellations of unobligated balances from the LASA account.)
b. The FY2018 total of $3.202 bil ion excludes supplemental appropriations of $257.6 mil ion. Supplemental
FY2018 appropriations for specific accounts were $207.6 mil ion for Construction and $50.0 mil ion for
HPF.
c. The FY2019 total of $3.223 bil ion excludes supplemental appropriations of $128.0 mil ion. Supplemental
FY2019 appropriations for specific accounts were $78.0 mil ion for Construction and $50.0 mil ion for HPF.
d. The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152), enacted in August 2020, shifted the funding previously
provided in the LASA account (i.e., funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund) to mandatory
appropriations, so there were no discretionary appropriations to this account for FY2021 and subsequent
years. For FY2021, appropriators canceled $23.0 mil ion in unobligated balances from the LASA account.
e. The FY2022 total of $3.265 bil ion excludes supplemental appropriations of $229.5 mil ion. The
supplemental FY2022 appropriations were provided for the Construction account.
f.
The FY2023 total of $3.475 bil ion excludes supplemental appropriations of $1.500 bil ion. The supplemental
FY2023 appropriations were provided for the Construction account.
The portfolio of NPS accounts changed twice during the decade. The Centennial Challenge
account was not included in FY2014 appropriations but was funded in FY2015 and thereafter.
Also, through FY2020, NPS received discretionary appropriations from the Land and Water
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Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the Land Acquisition and State Assistance (LASA) account; but in
August 2020, the GAOA designated all funding from the LWCF as mandatory spending, and the
discretionary LASA account was not funded in FY2021 or thereafter.
Operation of the National Park System Account
Appropriations for the largest NPS account, entitled Operation of the National Park System
(ONPS), support the day-to-day operations of the National Park System. ONPS funding was
$2.237 billion in FY2014 and increased to $2.923 billion in nominal dollars in FY2023 (Table 2
and Figure 3). When adjusted for inflation, this represents an increase of 3%. As a percentage of
total regular NPS appropriations (excluding supplemental appropriations), the ONPS share was
87% in FY2014 and 84% in FY2023. The ONPS account did not receive supplemental
appropriations during the decade.
Figure 3. Appropriations for NPS’s Operation of the National Park System (ONPS)
Account, FY2014-FY2023
($ billions, in nominal and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars)

Sources: Data for FY2014-FY2022 are from NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2024. Data for FY2023 are
from the joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-328. See footnote 1 for additional information on this figure.
The majority of ONPS funds are provided directly to individual park units. Activities under the
account include resource stewardship, visitor services, park protection (including the U.S. Park
Police), facility operations and maintenance, park support, and “external administrative costs” for
services provided by outside entities.2 Funding for resource stewardship, visitor services, and
facility operations and maintenance increased over the decade in inflation-adjusted dollars, while
amounts for the other three activities decreased when adjusted for inflation.3 The greatest

2 Park support includes administering, managing, and supporting the operations of park units. External administrative
costs include employee compensation, unemployment compensation, centralized information technology costs,
telecommunications, postage, space rental from the General Services Administration, and department program charges.
3 In inflation-adjusted dollars, the percentage changes in funding over the decade were as follows: resource
stewardship, +5%; visitor services, +5%; facility operations and maintenance, +8%; park support, -2%; external
administrative costs, -4%; park protection, -2%.
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percentage increase was for the facility operations and maintenance activity, which grew by 8%
in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Construction Account
The second-largest NPS account, titled Construction, funds repairs and improvements to existing
facilities as well as new construction projects and other activities. Regular appropriations for the
Construction account were highest in the middle of the decade (FY2018-FY2020) in inflation-
adjusted dollars (Table 2 and Figure 4). Comparing the beginning and end of the decade, the
regular appropriations (excluding supplementals) were 37% higher in FY2023 than FY2014 in
inflation-adjusted dollars. Supplemental appropriations for disaster recovery in FY2018, FY2019,
FY2022, and FY2023 increased the account totals for those years. The largest supplemental
appropriation was in FY2023, when P.L. 117-328, Division N, appropriated $1.500 billion to the
account for NPS to address the consequences of wildfires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters
occurring in and prior to calendar year 2023. The Construction account represented 5% of the
total discretionary appropriation for FY2014 and 7% for FY2023, excluding supplemental
appropriations; with the FY2023 supplemental included, the Construction account’s share of the
FY2023 total was 35%.
Figure 4. Appropriations for NPS’s Construction Account, FY2014-FY2023
($ millions, in nominal and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars)

Sources: Data for FY2014-FY2022 are from NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2024. Data for FY2023 are
from the joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-328. See footnote 1 for additional information on this figure.
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NPS Infrastructure: Funding for Maintenance and Repairs
NPS’s substantial backlog of deferred maintenance (DM)—infrastructure maintenance and repairs that were not
performed as scheduled or as needed—has been an ongoing concern for many in Congress. The backlog grew in
nominal dol ars from an estimated $11.493 bil ion in FY2014 to an estimated $22.288 bil ion as of the end of
FY2022 (the most recent year available). This is a growth of 94% in nominal dol ars or 60% in inflation-adjusted
terms, and includes a 60% nominal-dol ar increase in one year (FY2020-FY2021), which NPS attributes in part to
changes in its methods for estimating DM. In addition to addressing DM, NPS must also budget for ongoing cyclical
and routine maintenance to keep infrastructure in good condition and to avoid adding to the DM backlog.
Discretionary appropriations, along with allocations from the Department of Transportation for road and bridge
improvements, historically provided most of the agency’s funding for maintenance and repairs. In 2020, however,
the Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152) established the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy
Restoration Fund with mandatory funding for NPS DM of up to $1.330 bil ion annually for five years.
Within NPS’s discretionary appropriations, two budget activities provide the primary support to address
maintenance and repairs (both regular and deferred): the line-item construction and maintenance activity within the
Construction account and the facility maintenance subactivity (part of the facility operations and maintenance activity)
within the Operation of the National Park System account. Funding for these two budget areas combined (Figure
5) increased through FY2020 and then declined, for an overall growth of 17% in inflation-adjusted dol ars over the
decade. Other discretionary and mandatory funds from multiple sources also have been used for NPS maintenance
and repairs.
Figure 5. Appropriations for Two NPS Discretionary Budget Activities That
Primarily Address Maintenance and Repairs, FY2014-FY2023
($ millions, in nominal and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars)

Sources: NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2024 and CRS communication with NPS Budget Office.
Funding excludes supplemental appropriations. Facility Maintenance is a subactivity within the Facility
Operations and Maintenance budget activity.
For more information on NPS maintenance and repairs, see CRS Report R44924, National Park Service Deferred
Maintenance: Frequently Asked Questions; CRS Report R43997, Deferred Maintenance of Federal Land Management
Agencies: FY2011-FY2020 Estimates and Issues; and CRS In Focus IF11636, The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-
152).

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Among the specific activities funded in the Construction account, the largest is line-item
construction and maintenance, which covers construction of new facilities and rehabilitation and
replacement of existing facilities. Appropriations for this budget activity more than tripled in
inflation-adjusted dollars between FY2014 and FY2020 before declining in FY2021-FY2023, for
an overall growth of 64% over the decade (also see text box above). According to NPS, the
activity “focuses on projects that repair, replace, or improve high priority mission-critical and
mission-dependent assets, and ensures that investments are reasonable, cost effective, and fiscally
sustainable over the life-time of the investment.”4 Other activities funded in the Construction
account include emergency and unscheduled construction, repair and replacement of employee
housing, dam safety, equipment replacement, construction planning and program management,
development of general management plans for park units, and preparation of special studies of
areas (for instance, to assess their potential for inclusion in the National Park System).
Historic Preservation Fund
The Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), established in 1976, is administered by NPS through
appropriations to the agency’s HPF account. In accordance with the purposes of the National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA),5 the fund primarily provides grants-in-aid to state and tribal
historic preservation offices for conservation of cultural and historical assets and sites. Some of
these grants are awarded by formula, and others are provided through competitive programs. The
HPF is funded by revenues from oil and gas activities on the U.S. outer continental shelf. Funding
was reauthorized through FY2023 in P.L. 114-289.6
The HPF has received $150 million annually in deposits from offshore oil and gas revenues, but
the funding is available only to the extent appropriated by Congress. Annual appropriations from
the account were less than the deposited amount during the first part of the decade but
subsequently increased and in recent years exceeded the annual deposit. The FY2023
appropriation was 185% higher in inflation-adjusted dollars than the FY2014 appropriation
(Figure 6 and Table 2). The HPF account represented 2% of the total NPS appropriation in
FY2014 and 6% of the total in FY2023.
Supplemental appropriations augmented regular appropriations for the HPF account in two
years—FY2018 and FY2019—and were targeted primarily to hurricane recovery.7 The funding
was mainly to assist recovering states and territories with compliance activities related to Section
106 of the NHPA.8 Under Section 106, undertakings that receive federal funds or permits—
including some hurricane recovery activities—must be evaluated for their potential effects on
historic properties.
The largest activity in the HPF account is grant funding for state historic preservation offices,
which rose by 4% in inflation-adjusted terms over the decade. Grants for tribal historic
preservation offices approximately doubled after adjusting for inflation. The account also funded
various competitive grant programs in particular years. For FY2023, these included grants for

4 NPS, Budget Justifications and Performance Information, Fiscal Year 2024, p. Const-7, at https://www.doi.gov/
sites/doi.gov/files/fy2024-nps-greenbook.pdf-508.pdf.
5 P.L. 89-665, as amended; 54 U.S.C. §§300101 et seq. For more information on historic preservation and the Historic
Preservation Fund (HPF), see CRS Report R45800, The Federal Role in Historic Preservation: An Overview, by Mark
K. DeSantis.
6 As of the date of this CRS report, this appropriations authorization had expired and funding had not been
reauthorized.
7 P.L. 115-123 and P.L. 116-20. The FY2019 funds also were for response to other types of natural disasters.
8 54 U.S.C. §306108.
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sites associated with the African American civil rights movement, grants to preserve the history of
equal rights, and grants to underserved communities. As separate line items in FY2023, the
account also funded grants for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), historic
revitalization, the Save America’s Treasures program to restore nationally significant historic
structures and artifacts, preservation activities related to the U.S. Semiquincentennial (the 250th
anniversary of the founding of the United States), and other projects.
Figure 6. Appropriations for NPS’s Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) Account,
FY2014-FY2023
($ millions, in nominal and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars)

Sources: Data for FY2014-FY2022 are from NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2024. Data for FY2023 are
from the joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-328. See footnote 1 for additional information on this figure.
National Recreation and Preservation Account
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account funds NPS programs that primarily
assist state, local, tribal, and private land managers with outdoor recreation planning, natural and
cultural resource preservation, and other conservation-related activities outside the National Park
System. Appropriations for the account were 20% higher in inflation-adjusted dollars in FY2023
as compared with FY2014 (Figure 7 and Table 2). The portion of NPS discretionary
appropriations used for the NR&P account was 2% in FY2014 and 3% in FY2023. The NR&P
account was not a recipient of supplemental funding during the decade.
A variety of natural, cultural, and recreational assistance programs are funded in the NR&P
account. NPS’s Heritage Partnership Program, which provides funding assistance to national
heritage areas, is the largest single program in the account.9 Its appropriations grew over the
decade by 26% in inflation-adjusted dollars, despite budget requests from the Obama and Trump
Administrations for reductions. There are 61 national heritage areas, 13 of which were established

9 National heritage areas are established by Congress but are not federally managed, and they are not part of the
National Park System. For more on national heritage areas, see CRS Report RL33462, National Heritage Areas:
Background and Issues for Congress, by Mark K. DeSantis.
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since 2019.10 The NR&P account also has included other programs that assist nonfederal entities,
such as the American Battlefield Protection Program;11 Rivers, Trails, and Conservation
Assistance Program; National Natural Landmarks and National Historic Landmarks Programs;
and National Register of Historic Places. The account further covers international park affairs and
environmental and compliance review.
Figure 7. Appropriations for NPS’s National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P)
Account, FY2014-FY2023
($ millions, in nominal and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars)

Sources: Data for FY2014-FY2022 are from NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2024. Data for FY2023 are
from the joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-328. See footnote 1 for additional information on this figure.
Centennial Challenge
The Centennial Challenge account was funded through most of the decade (FY2015-FY2023).12
The account consists of a matching-grant program to spur partner donations for park
improvements, with a priority on addressing deferred maintenance.13 The name “Centennial
Challenge” indicates the fund’s origin as a program to improve the parks in anticipation of NPS’s
2016 centennial anniversary and its second century of park management. Both the George W.
Bush and Obama Administrations had proposed discretionary and mandatory funding for the fund
prior to its legislative establishment in December 2016 (P.L. 114-289), and Congress had
provided discretionary appropriations in some years, starting in FY2008. P.L. 114-289 enacted the
Centennial Challenge Fund into law and authorized it to receive federal revenues from certain

10 These 13 national heritage areas were established in P.L. 116-9 and P.L. 117-339.
11 The American Battlefield Protection Program’s (ABPP’s) planning grants are funded in the NR&P account, while
grants to states for battlefield land acquisition, modernization, and restoration are funded through the Land and Water
Conservation Fund (see below). For more on the ABPP, see CRS In Focus IF11329, American Battlefield Protection
Program, by Mark K. DeSantis.
12 The account had earlier received funding in FY2008 and in FY2010 under the title “Park Partnership Grants.”
13 The account provides the federal share of matching grants for “signature” park projects and programs identified by
the Interior Secretary and must “help prepare the national parks for another century of conservation, preservation, and
visitor enjoyment” (P.L. 114-289).
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sales of National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes to seniors, in addition to
discretionary appropriations. The senior pass revenues are provided as offsetting collections.
Revenues are to be matched on at least a one-to-one basis by nonfederal donations.
During the FY2015-FY2023 period, discretionary appropriations for the fund rose and then fell
(Table 2 and Figure 8). The FY2023 appropriation was 20% higher than FY2015 in inflation-
adjusted dollars. The account represented less than 1% of total NPS appropriations in both years
and did not receive supplemental appropriations.
Figure 8. Appropriations for NPS’s Centennial Challenge Account, FY2014-FY2023
($ millions, in nominal and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars)

Sources: Data for FY2014-FY2022 are from NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2024. Data for FY2023 are
from the joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-328. See footnote 1 for additional information on this figure.
Land Acquisition and State Assistance Account
Through FY2020, NPS’s LASA account consisted of discretionary appropriations from the Land
and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF, 54 U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.). The LWCF is the primary
funding source for the federal land management agencies to acquire lands, and it also funds NPS-
administered grants to states for outdoor recreation needs.14 Under the LWCF Act, the LWCF
receives deposits of $900 million annually, primarily from offshore oil and gas revenues.15 During
most of the decade covered by this report, this funding was available only to the extent provided
in discretionary appropriations acts. In August 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA;
P.L. 116-152) made all funding from the LWCF mandatory spending.16 Thus, there were no
discretionary appropriations for NPS’s LASA account in FY2021-FY2023.

14 For more information on the LWCF, see CRS Report RL33531, Land and Water Conservation Fund: Overview,
Funding History, and Issues, by Carol Hardy Vincent.
15 The state grant program of the LWCF also receives additional mandatory funding from offshore oil and gas revenues
under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-432).
16 For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11636, The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152), by Carol
Hardy Vincent, Laura B. Comay, and Bill Heniff Jr. Although the funding is now provided through mandatory
(continued...)
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Figure 9. Appropriations for NPS’s Land Acquisition and State Assistance (LASA)
Account, FY2014-FY2023
($ millions, in nominal and inflation-adjusted 2014 dollars)

Sources: Data for FY2014-FY2020 are from NPS budget justifications for FY2016-FY2022.
Notes: See footnote 1 for additional information on this figure. Not reflected in the figure is a cancellation of
$23.0 mil ion in unobligated balances from the LASA account in FY2021.
The LASA account covered NPS’s own acquisitions—typically nonfederal “inholdings” inside
the boundaries of national park units—and NPS grants to states for outdoor recreation purposes.
During the FY2014-FY2020 period, discretionary appropriations for the LASA account—
including both NPS federal land acquisition and assistance to states—increased overall, with a
notable growth in FY2016 and after (Figure 9 and Table 2), primarily attributable to higher
appropriations for the state assistance program in the later years. Adjusted for inflation, the
appropriation grew by 91% between FY2014 and FY2020. The LASA account represented
approximately 4% of the total NPS regular appropriation in FY2014 and 6% in FY2020, and did
not receive supplemental appropriations.
NPS Appropriations in Context
Changes in NPS appropriations can be considered in the context of changes in the numbers of
annual visits to the parks, agency staffing levels, and the National Park System’s size, among
other factors. Over the past decade, total annual visits to the parks increased, despite a drop in
visitation in FY2020 related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Notwithstanding increases in appropriations, NPS staffing levels were lower at the end of the
decade than the beginning. The size of the National Park System remained roughly steady in
terms of acreage, but 23 new units were added.

appropriations, allocation of amounts remains an issue in the discretionary appropriations process, as the GAOA
provides that appropriations acts may specify alternate allocations to those proposed by the President.
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Visits to the National Parks
Numbers of recreational visits to the National Park System varied over the past 10 years. The
highest numbers of visits (roughly 330 million each year) were in calendar years 2016 and 2017
(Figure 10 and Table 3). The visitation numbers dropped significantly in 2020 after the onset of
the COVID-19 pandemic but rebounded to approximately 325 million visits in 2023, making
visitation in that year 11% higher than at the beginning of the decade. Many factors may affect
visitation to the parks in a given year, including national economic conditions, weather, changes
in population demographics, park closures due to disasters or lapses in appropriations, park
promotional campaigns, competing recreational choices, and other factors.
Figure 10. Annual Recreational Visits to the National Park System, 2014-2023
(total visits in millions, by calendar year)

Source: NPS, NPS Stats, at https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/Reports/National.
Table 3. Annual Recreational Visits to the National Park System, 2014-2023
(total visits in millions, by calendar year)
Number of Visits
Number of Visits
Year
(in millions)
Year
(in millions)
2014
292.8
2019
327.5
2015
307.2
2020
237.1
2016
331.0
2021
297.1
2017
330.9
2022
312.0
2018
318.2
2023
325.5
Source: NPS, NPS Stats, at https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/Reports/National.
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National Park Service Staffing
NPS full-time equivalent (FTE) staff levels were highest in the earlier part of the decade but saw
growth in FY2023, owing in part to mandatory appropriations in the IRA for NPS employee
hiring.17 FTE staff ranged from a high of 19,894 in FY2014 to a low of 18,060 in FY2020
(Figure 11 and Table 4).18 Estimated staffing for FY2023 (19,390 FTE) was 3% lower than at the
beginning of the decade.
Figure 11. NPS Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff, FY2014-FY2023

Sources: FY2014-FY2015 figures from DOI, “Department of the Interior FTE History: Ful -Time Equivalent Staff
Year (FTE) Actual of Bureaus and Offices.” FY2016-FY2023 figures from NPS budget justifications.
Table 4. NPS Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff, FY2014-FY2023
Year
Number of FTEs
Year
Number of FTEs
FY2014
19,894
FY2019
18,544
FY2015
19,539
FY2020
18,060
FY2016
19,722
FY2021
18,814
FY2017
19,668
FY2022
18,622
FY2018
19,032
FY2023
19,390 (est.)
Sources: FY2014-FY2015 figures from DOI, “Department of the Interior FTE History: Ful -Time Equivalent Staff
Year (FTE) Actual of Bureaus and Offices.” FY2016-FY2023 figures from NPS budget justifications.

17 For more information, see the text box in this report titled “Mandatory Appropriations in the National Park Service’s
Budget.”
18 These employment figures, reported in NPS budget justifications, differ from those reported by the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM). NPS calculates employment by FTEs, defined as the total number of regular straight-
time hours (not including overtime or holiday hours) worked by employees, divided by the number of compensable
hours applicable to each fiscal year. By contrast, OPM data utilizes “on-board employment” figures, which calculate
the number of employees in pay status at the end of the quarter. For more information, see CRS Report R45480, U.S.
Department of the Interior: An Overview, by Mark K. DeSantis.
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Size of the National Park System
National Park System acreage grew by 1% over the decade, from 84.5 million acres in FY2014 to
85.2 million acres in FY2023 (Table 5). The percentage of National Park System lands owned by
the federal government remained steady, at 95% of total system lands.19 The remainder—the
nonfederal land in the system—includes lands within park boundaries (sometimes known as
“inholdings”) that are owned by state or local governments and by private landowners.
Table 5. Size of the National Park System, FY2014-FY2023
(in millions of acres)

Federal Land
Nonfederal Land
Total Acreage
FY2014
80.466
4.011
84.477
FY2015
80.598
4.019
84.616
FY2016
80.728
4.008
84.736
FY2017
81.008
4.031
85.039
FY2018
81.011
4.034
85.045
FY2019
81.095
4.005
85.100
FY2020
81.098
4.015
85.112
FY2021
81.104
4.012
85.116
FY2022
81.130
4.005
85.134
FY2023
81.158
3.996
85.154
Source: NPS Land Resources Division, annual summaries of acreage, at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/lwcf/
acreagereports.htm.
Notes: Federal Land category includes NPS Fee Acres, Less Than Fee Acres, and Other Federal Fee Acres.
Nonfederal Land category includes Other Public Acres and Private Acres. Totals may not sum precisely due to
rounding.
A total of 23 units were added to the system in the FY2014-FY2023 period.20 Many were
relatively small in acreage, such as Stonewall National Monument in New York (0.12 acres) and
Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, DC (0.34 acres). The
largest units added to the system during the decade were Valles Caldera National Preserve in New

19 Almost all of the system’s federally owned lands are directly administered by NPS. However, the federally owned
portion of the system also includes some NPS “less than fee” acres (e.g., conservation easements or rights-of-way) and
some lands managed by other federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Reclamation or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. Taken together, these two types of lands amount to about 1% of the federally owned portion of the system.
20 These units are the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (NV), World War I Memorial (DC), Valles Caldera
National Preserve (NM), Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (MA and RI), Pullman National Monument
(IL), Honouliuli National Monument (HI), Waco Mammoth National Monument (TX), Manhattan Project National
Historical Park (TN, NM, and WA), Castle Mountains National Monument (CA), Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality
National Monument (DC), Stonewall National Monument (NY), Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
(ME), Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (NY), Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument (AL), Freedom
Riders National Monument (AL), Reconstruction Era National Monument (SC), Camp Nelson National Monument
(KY), Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial (DC), Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument (KY), Ste. Genevieve
National Historical Park (MO), Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument (MS), New Philadelphia National
Historic Site (IL), and Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument (IL and MS). A list of recent additions
to the National Park System is at NPS, Recent Changes in the National Park System, at https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/
recent-changes.htm.
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Mexico (89,766 acres) and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine (87,564
acres). Other acreage changes resulted from boundary adjustments in existing parks.
Concluding Summary
NPS’s regular discretionary appropriations fluctuated over the past decade, with an overall trend
of growth in both nominal and inflation-adjusted dollars. The FY2023 regular appropriation
(excluding supplemental appropriations) was 36% higher than FY2014 in nominal dollars and 7%
higher in inflation-adjusted dollars. Among the six NPS accounts in use during the decade, the
account covering basic park operations consistently received the highest share of the total
appropriation. NPS received supplemental appropriations for disaster relief in FY2018, FY2019,
FY2022, and FY2023, and also received mandatory appropriations from multiple sources and
allocations from DOI-wide accounts in each year.
NPS’s overall funding growth occurred in the context of a 10% increase in park visits over the
decade. Visits to the parks peaked in 2016, 2017, and 2019 at approximately 330 million visits for
each of those years. Notwithstanding the growth in NPS appropriations, agency staffing levels
declined by 3% over the decade. Although park acreage grew by only 1%, 23 units were added to
the system over the 10-year period.
A major funding issue for NPS is infrastructure reinvestment. The agency’s backlog of deferred
maintenance and repairs was estimated at $22.288 billion as of the end of FY2022, the most
recent year available. The estimated backlog grew over the decade by 60% in inflation-adjusted
dollars, although some of the growth was attributed to changes in the agency’s methods for
estimating deferred maintenance. For two discretionary subaccounts (within the ONPS and
Construction accounts) that mainly address both regular and deferred maintenance, the combined
funding increased by 17% in inflation-adjusted dollars over this period. In addition, the Great
American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152), enacted in August 2020, provided a new source of
mandatory spending to address NPS deferred maintenance.21 NPS’s infrastructure needs have
continued to receive attention in the 118th Congress, both within and outside the annual
appropriations process.

Author Information

Laura B. Comay

Specialist in Natural Resources Policy

21 For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11636, The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152), by Carol
Hardy Vincent, Laura B. Comay, and Bill Heniff Jr.
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Disclaimer
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Congressional Research Service
R42757 · VERSION 37 · UPDATED
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