U.S. Vice
President Mike Pence, along with Second Lady Karen Pence, landed in Air Force
Two in West Yellowstone on June 13 before touring Yellowstone National Park.
The Vice President delivered remarks to the National Park Service in front of
Old Faithful, announcing the Public Lands Infrastructure Fund, which would dedicate
50 percent of the revenues from leases on public lands to improve and maintain
the infrastructure of our national parks.
“We’re
getting broad bipartisan support for it and we’re going to continue to carry
that message back to Washington D.C.,” Pence said. He added that he expects the
funding stream the bill would create would more than meet the maintenance
obligations of U.S. National Parks. Currently, the NPS deferred maintenance
backlog amounts to $11.92 billion, move than $500,000 of which is in
Yellowstone.
