Next Steps on Disaster Relief and Priorities for the 119th Congress
The snow and freezing temperatures have created a new type of gridlock in the nation’s capitol. The federal government is open today but roads and sidewalks remain treacherous. But the snow had created a beautiful backdrop for the processions moving the remains of President Carter through the city. Huge crowds have lined up outside the Capitol to pay their final respects to the 39th President. I’m sure they would have liked a warmer backdrop.
Please note that President Carter’s funeral will be held at the National Cathedral tomorrow, which is a national day of mourning. The federal government is closed, including the postal service.
As I noted last month, the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations bill with dedicated resources for the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and other public lands, was signed into law by President Biden. The law is now with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which will produced guidance on the priorities for spending the disaster relief funding. This is a lot of money and it is important that is is allocated to the communities and projects that need it most.
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BLNHA) had requested emergency funding to get it through this challenging time. We thought it had been included in the Supplemental Appropriations bill but at the last minute it was left out. We are continuing to work the Sen. Thom Tillis’ staff to find a way to fast track a funding request for BLNHA, the OMB effort is one way to do that.
The flurry of end of year activity brought good news for other National Heritage Areas. A bill to expand the boundaries of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to include Lafourche Parish, Louisiana has been signed. And a bill authorizing a feasibility study for the proposed Lahaina National Heritage Area in Hawaii has been approved.
The president has signed the EXPLORE Act, which strengthens outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands, including expanding broadband connectivity, allowing for the selling of passes and collecting fees online, modernizing film and photo permitting, and unifies and makes data collection, including visitation data, consistent across units and agencies. Unfortunately, the bill contains no funding so getting these important programs funded implemented is going to be a priority moving forward.
Congress has to complete funding for FY25 by March 14 and then will begin work on the FY26 budget. I expect that we will have a lot of work to do defining the agencies and programs that tourism depends on, such as National Scenic Byways Program, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Appalachian Regional Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, the list goes on….Please be ready to answer the call to action as needed.
Legislation is expected in March to extend the Legacy Restoration Act, which provides dedicated funding to address the maintenance backlog in National Parks, Forests and other public lands. Establishing this program was a major win for tourism advocates and the funding has paid dividends in gateway communities. I will be sharing messaging, fact sheets and opportunities to support this vital program once the legislation is introduced.
Representative Paul Tonka (D-NY) has stated that he will again introduce the Cultural Resources Challenge Act, which would provide $250 million over 5 years to help the National Park Service to protect, restore, and archive our country’s diverse cultural and historic resources. This would be critically important to National Heritage Areas and efforts like the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.
No timeline yet but I have confirmed that the Accelerating the Growth of Rural Innovation and Tourism Opportunities to Uphold Rural Industries and Sustainable Marketplaces (AGRITOURISM) Act, which would create an Office of Agritourism within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, tasked with advising the Secretary of Agriculture on agritourism-related policy matters, promoting agritourism activities, and ensuring that information about federal resources available to agritourism businesses is easily accessible, will be reintroduced in the 119th Congress.
Lastly, I will continue to look for partnership opportunities and resources to help tourism communities leverage America 250 celebration to reach new audiences. The national commission has brought on three major sponsors and is starting to get some traction with their efforts.
If there is anything that you would like to see tracked, please let me know.
All the best,
Halle