Nov 24, 2024
As the calendar runs down on the current session of Congress,
there are a number of pieces of legislation that would involve or
possibly impact the National Park System if they find their way
into an omnibus lands bill that gains passage before the session
adjourns.
While we haven’t seen exactly what might find their way into an
omnibus lands bill, among the candidates are legislation that would
turn Chiricahua National Monument into a national park, one that
would create a “designated operating partner” to oversee the
Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and another that calls for a
Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail feasibility study.
There’s also pending legislation that would approve expansion of
Big Bend National Park by about 6000 acres, one that would
transform Apostle Islands National Lakeshore into Apostle Islands
National Park and Preserve, and one that, if passed, would
forbid any official wilderness designation to be bestowed on Big
Cpress National Preserve.
We’re going to take a look at the Big Bend, Apostle Islands, and
Big Cypress measures today with Bob Krumenaker, who, during his 40+
years with the National Park Service, was superintendent of both
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Big Bend National Park and
served a stint as acting superintendent of Everglades National
Park, which adjoins Big Cypress National Preserve.