Rep. Kilmer on Supporting the Great American Outdoors Act

Okay. Okay. Hey Hey. Hey Hey everybody everybody. everybody. Derek Kilmer here here I I I am. am am not not not actually actually actually. actually sitting in in front front of of Hurricane Hurricane Hurricane Ridge, Ridge, Ridge, but but but but I I I thought thought thought it it it was was was a a. a a cool cool cool backdrop for the the discussion. discussion. We're We're about about about to to to have have have. like. like like like many many many of of of you one of the reasons reasons I I love love love living living living in in in our our our our. region region region is is is because because because of of. of of the the the just extraordinary natural natural assets assets assets that that that we we we have. have have I I. I I grew grew grew up up up in in in Port Angeles and this this. this this backdrop backdrop backdrop was. was was was my the the the backdrop of my my childhood childhood and and got got got to to to go go go up. up up up Hurricane Hurricane Hurricane Hurricane. Ridge Ridge Ridge with with with my family every every summer summer, usually. usually with the bucket of. Fried chicken we'd go fishing we would enjoy our our beaches and just we have just such an amazing natural natural treasures and some amazing National parks. you know, frankly, those experiences really had a very significant impact on me and I know on my kiddos now as well and I think frankly, we have an obligation to make sure that future generations have those opportunities too and someone who shares that passion is my guest. Rob Smith, who's the Northwest regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association, Robb, first of all. It's great to see you hey Derek Good to be here. good good to be good be home with you on the Olympic Peninsula in the Puget Sound area. Well, I'll be honest with you. I wish you and I were out on a trail right now instead of behind our laptops. Yeah, we all wanna be out for sure for sure so Rob you're your Organization has spent. And and and has been a terrific partner working with me on a number of issues, including a bipartisan bill that I've introduced in the House called the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act, which now has over 325 cosponsors in the House over 50 senators and it's a bill that would create new dedicated funding to addressing the maintenance backlog That's facing not only Olympic National Park but all of our nation's National parks and and address some. Other challenges facing our public lands, but maybe just to start off talk to folks about you know what this maintenance backlog means what it looks like why it's a problem. What what's the impact of it? You know nationally it's because Congress has for many years many years underfunded the needs of the National parks while the Gates are open a lot of things that you don't see like pipes or buildings or things like that have suffered are getting older and actually need to be repaired or replaced, and it's like a homeowner would understand that you can't you have to invest in the House House in in order order to to keep keep keep things things things up, up. up. you You You can can can can. only only only fix fix fix that. that that that water water water leak leak leak with with with a Band-Aid so often On the Appropriations Committee is trying to fund the Park service adequately, but there's years and years and previously where it just hasn't been up and some of these things are 4050 years old. We've done this before back in the sixties There is the mission 66, where the Park service spent a decade funding the parks to rebuild the roads and the buildings so they could accommodate the new crowds that we're coming. it's time to renew that commitment and. Our parks would do that and now the Great American Outdoors Act would incorporate that and do that as well. So you just mentioned the bill that looks like it's going to get some forward motion here in the Senate. you know that addresses our maintenance backlog and also provides funding for something called the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which I wanna get to in a second I kinda wanna double click on this issue of the maintenance backlog with you though that you know, I think you know one you know to some degree. We're kind of loving our parks to death. there there were were more more more than than than 300. 331 million. 331 million 331 million visitors to America's America's parks parks last last year. year and As you mentioned, some of the challenges are things like washed out, roads or trails, some of the things you don't necessarily see right. We've had the chair of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee out on the Olympic and you know learning about water systems and how they affect like crescent and so give folks some examples of some of the challenges that exist just within the Olympic National Park right here in our backyard well. People may not know, but Olympic National Park is the most visited National Park in the Northwest. Everyone knows from Mount Rainier is that gets a million and a half visitors to Olympic gets more than three million and. That's year round. It's accessible Park year round whether you go to the oceans of the forest or up on Hurricane Ridge so given that we live in the Northwest and it rains occasionally the roads get washed out and so if people have visited that they have seen road work that needs to be done and after a while you get tired of seeing. Cones The other thing that people won't see is a water system wastewater system like a hurricane where most people stop by if they're going to Olympic National Park at some point, they're starting to work on that now, but that's an old septic system from years and years ago decades ago, that simply needs to be replaced so it can accommodate the crowds and it doesn't leak into the meadows. that's the kind of project that needs to happen in the Olympic the top priority. Be water and wastewater systems in campgrounds and places like that. Also roadwork is a big one for all the National parks. there's also sometimes small stuff like just restroom, ventilation and rehabilitation. These are health and safety issues as well as visitor access issues, You know the the there's another piece of this too. I mean, obviously some of this is protecting these assets for the long term. part of the the reason reason you're you're seeing seeing this this this conversation conversation conversation. conversation in in in Congress Congress Congress right right right now, now, now, now. though though, though, is. is is you you know? know much as the? Government has been passing things to address the Corona virus pandemic, A lot of that's just been focused on trying to stop the bleeding it hasn't actually focused on doing things that could put people to work and the value of addressing this maintenance backlog is it's really a win. you know it has the opportunity not just to protect this extraordinary assets and make sure we're not leaching you know sewage into the Meadows on her bridge, but also could provide some important jobs as we try to build. Economy out of what's been a really tough time Olympic National Park as a backlog right now of a hundred and 26 million dollars worth of projects now, that's not all one project but it's a series of things that have just kind of not gotten around to doing because the funding wasn't there This would create jobs in that. it's about road construction. It's about skilled labor to replace a water systems. It's also summer jobs for kids including from maybe. City or rural communities that and do some of the summer work now. If you don't have the money to do it, you can employ those people if we do have the money to do it, we can put America back to work and that's one of the things we need to do right now more than any time. Thanks for mentioning that and apologies for my dog barking in the background there my my newest coworker in Australian shepherd named Truman and anytime you hear someone outside, he gets a little nuts. so you mentioned the bill the Great American Outdoors Act that bills passed out of Committee by a vote of 36 to two, which is a good sign and not only does it address the maintenance backlog in the Park system. It also deals with some of the other vital public lands through the land and water conservation fund. So for folks who don't you know you know for for folks who don't run the National Parks Conservation Association and don't live with these various acronyms and programs tell folks why that program is what it is and why it's so important Well, the land and water Conservation Fund has been around for a long time, but but it's it's not not a a program. program. program. A a A lot lot lot of of of people people people. people know know know about. about, about, but but but if if if you you you go to say say anywhere anywhere from from a a a place place place like like like Mount Mount Mount Mount. Rainier. Rainier Rainier Or, Or Or Olympic National Park or you go to. Local Park or trail you probably may see a plaque saying help paid by the land and water conservation Fund. It's it's not taxpayer funded in the sense that this comes from a largely offshore oil revenues money that's coming in any way and it's been allocated years ago to fund parks Open space wildlife habitat projects on the local and federal level about half of it goes to local city parks for playgrounds like in Hogue, Princeton or the Chinese. Park Building waterfront picnic tables and access for the dragon boat races in Tacoma or it goes to build the Olympic of the trail across near Lake Crescent for hikers horse people and just Walker walkers and bicyclists there to connect the Olympic trail all across the peninsula and through the Park. so it's stuff that people go out and use every day The the. Has been authorized at you know a general level, but you know it's typically never been appropriated at that level, so the money is never really showed up this would permanently and fully fund the land and water Conservation fund and those not only build things that that serve people last a long time, but there are jobs involved in creating and constructing those things. So it's really it's parks for people and places for wildlife. You gave a couple of. Samples a lot a few more in Port Angeles when you know, we're where where I up the land and water conservation Fund actually provided some funding for Shane Park, which is where young deer Kilmer played soccer for the Maro Monsters soccer team and I lost a fair number of games as a kid. I don't blame the land and water conservation Fund for that and you know in the city of Bremerton, Bremerton you you saw saw enhancements enhancement. enhancements enhancements of of of Blueberry blueberry. Blueberry Blueberry Park Park Park and protection of of some some some some some some wet. wetland wetland wetland there. there. there it. It's a real. And you know it to your point you know provides recreational facilities and really protects some vital public lands. So Rob before we close out, you know, maybe just give folks a sense of if we get this bill passed the Great American Outdoors Act and get it signed in the law. What sort of impacts do you see well right away? I think we're all in America. We're looking for what can can we we agree agree on? on? on? how how how can can can we we we come come? come come together together together and and and? and between between between National parks parks and and city city parks parks parks and and and wildlife wildlife wildlife habit? habitat habitat habitat in in in this this this this? beautiful beautiful beautiful public, open spaces and making them healthy. This is something we can do for America right now and the money will start flowing. We'll also put America back to work the a lot of jobs here and at some place we can take our kids. you know we've heard from health officials you know you need open space. you need to distance you need healthy places to go this money builds and saves those places for the future. so it really is what the doctor ordered and I'm really glad that Congress is taking up now because while it's been a good idea, it's now in the Central idea. Well, I'll tell you what that's you know, part of the reason that I let a push to you know really encourage leadership both in the House and the Senate to take up this matter. we got more than a hundred folks, House and Senate to sign on to a letter saying let's move on this Democrats and Republicans to your point so hopeful that we will see this get done before I sign off. I wanna not just thank you for for me joining me and thank and thank the the National National National Parks Parks parks Conservation Conservation Conservation conservation. Association. Association Association Association for for for your your your extraordinary extraordinary. extraordinary work. work. I gotta ask. for folks when things start opening up again in our National Park system, give folks a a a tip. what's give give people a good day hike that they may not have thought of so that once once things are reopened where where should people go? I think everyone's waiting for the be, it is to open up and that's a good place to get spread out and enjoy nature but you gotta be careful that you're not going you know you're not bringing a disease or threat of that to some of the the tribes tribes out out there there so. so I would say. The smartest thing is to go to the Park or the public land website and check on what's open and what's not, but anything you can do whether it's a local Park or whether it's going to a National Park or going to sea-shore get outside. That's really healthy and then keep your distance. Yeah. Do you have a favorite? I'm really looking forward to getting back up to hurricane on a clear day. just to look out cuz you can see everything from up there. The other places I like to go out on the anywhere along the oceanfront, Pacific Ocean or or Eddie He's out there so any place any place with the Beach or a view. I have to tell you since we're talking about this subject before I sign off so grandpa Kilmer I had an asphalt crew and every time when I was a kid as we drove up Hurricane Ridge, my dad would say you know Grandpa Kilmer help pave this road at Hurricane Ridge, which if I had a dollar for the number of times that I would be a wealthy man, but you know it is it. We talk about these issues around maintenance including road maintenance. This is this is stuff that provides jobs to people and so I cannot Thank you enough for the great work you and the NPCA do thank you for your partnership and hopefully we'll have some good news for people when we get this across the finish line Well. Thank you Derek and thanks not only for voting for this but actually leading the charge on the restore Our Parks Act, acting the Great American Outdoors Act and we'll get this done. We can do this. Amen. Thanks everybody. Thanks for. Alright so long.