WASHINGTON, DC, July 18 – AAHOA announced its support for S.3172, the Restore Our Parks Act,
bipartisan legislation that would address the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog plaguing the
National Park System. The bill is a compromise between the National Park Service Legacy Act and the
National Park Restoration Act which would allocate existing government revenues from energy
development to create dedicated funding to repair and maintain park infrastructure.
“Nearly $18 billion was spent in the towns and communities that surround our national parks last year.
This legislation is an investment not only in our parks, but also in the people and communities that
provide essential services to park visitors. AAHOA’s members are pleased to see both sides of the aisle
coming together to address the infrastructure backlog in such a meaningful way,” said AAHOA Chairman
Hitesh (HP) Patel.
“Our national parks attract millions of visitors each year and are a huge economic driver for the
communities that surround them. Visitors support over 306,000 jobs in these towns and cities, and many
of the jobs are in hospitality,” said AAHOA President and CEO Chip Rogers. “This legislation is a good
first step to address this backlog and is key to securing continued economic growth around our national
parks. Better infrastructure means more visitors, which means more support for local small businesses.
America’s hoteliers support this bill because it goes a long way to help our park system meet the high
demand to see our treasured public lands.”
