The chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee has asked Interior Department Secretary Sally Jewell to provide his committee with a briefing on "the scope of mismanagement and consevation of national and cultural resources" at the National Park Service.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, in his letter to the secretary sent Tuesday, referred to many points made in the Park Service's After Action Review of site desecration at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa in outlining his concerns.
"The fact that such mismanagement could continue for decades with little to no oversight at NPS is particularly troubling given the agency's stated mission to preserve 'natural and cultural resources," the Utah Republican wrote.
Rep. Bishop asked that the briefing be made before 5 p.m. on Sept. 9.
Comments
I would love to have Bishop testify under oath about congressional malfeasance, starting with documenntation of his funding sources.
It's not that I question whether or not NPS could use some investigating, I just question whether Rob Bishop is capable of doing it.
It would be nice if Rep. Bishop were as concerned with increasing the budgets for the Park Service and the other land management agencies so they could do their jobs properly.
Mike, you may want to educate yourself about park budgets because they have steadily increased since 2000. But the NPS would have you believe otherwise. Even after consistent budgetary increases, they manufacture a "maintenance backlog" that goes from 4 to 6 to 12 BILLION dollars in just a matter of years. A little education goes a long way.
The NPS under Jarvis needs investigating. Jarvis is a crook and his superintendents must sell their souls to the moustache club to be a part of it. He has thoroughly embarrassed the agency on its 100th anniversary. And while all other media outlets are stumbling over themselves to proclaim what great things the NPS has done, NPT is one of the few that holds them accountable when bad eggs make it through.
And I and many other taxpayers appreciate this kind of journalism. It is a service to the American public.
That's what the tin foil helmet contingent would have one believe. Those closer to the reality know about having to do with fewer staff, shorter budgets, plans unfunded.
Two realities in this thread are that Bishop is grandstanding and that Smokies Backpacker has a mustache phobia.
Rick, sorry to disparage those of you with crumb catchers. Here is a graph of the NPS budget over the years. Can you imagine what this would balloon to if you included the donations from Friends groups and the like? Not to mention stimulus funds.
http://api.ning.com/files/QYd7mNwhlPQ2DsH0WaYmrtSb3hf7ua3kqchShNB6DF0qvz...
Already has been documented. And who is the largest contributor this year? An aerospace company at a whopping $15,000. #2? A beer distributor at $13,500. Yet you want to believe he is selling his soul (and the National Parks) for campaign contributions. Meanwhile Hillary is selling access to the State Department for hundreds of millions with direct evidence of quid pro quos. Don't see you complaining about that.
Pretty colors - what is api.ning.com?
Eric - it's real simple. I have two hands On one hand I have her, who isn't perfect, and on the other hand we have an incredibly thin skinned narcicist with anger management issues. [[ apologies to all. I hadn't wanted to bring the political race into NPT. ]]