April 16, 2015

On April 16, Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) introduced the Monuments Protection Act of 2015 (H.R.1836) which would require federal departments to accept offers from local governments supporting access to public lands in the event of a funding lapse, such as a government shutdown.

During the government shutdown in October 2013, the Department of the Interior (DOI) barred access to national parks and other public lands for 16 days. This bill would provide an alternative to shutting down public lands by allowing state and local governments to fill funding gaps when the federal government is not operating. The federal government would reimburse state and local governments for the interim park management costs “to the extent that funds are made available.” The bill also encourages the federal government to keep public lands accessible to the public unless there is direct necessity for restricted access due to budgetary constraints.

A similar bill, S.146, has been introduced in the Senate. The House bill has been referred to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees.

Source: E&E News