CONTACT: Kyle Groetzinger, Press Secretary
media@nationalparksaction.org
WASHINGTON – Today, the National Parks Action Fund released our 2024 Congressional Scorecard, upholding our mission to keep members of Congress accountable for their votes on national parks, wildlife, and conservation.
Since its founding in 2016, the National Parks Action Fund has tracked the most impactful national parks legislation in each Congress and assigned members A-F scores based on their votes. The National Parks Action Fund’s latest scorecard assesses members in the first session of the 118th Congress, scoring them on key votes concerning park funding and staffing, oil and gas development in and near parks, protections for wildlife, and preserving important park protection laws.
“America’s national parks have long served as common ground for Congress, even in times serious political division and strife.” said Theresa Pierno, National Parks Action Fund Board Chair. “Conservation unifies Americans in a way no other topic can. Time and again, we have seen members of Congress cross the aisle and forge unlikely bonds with their colleagues in the name of protecting our national parks. Our latest scorecard proves that kind of bipartisan spirit is certainly still possible, even in 2024.”
In the recent past, bipartisan Congressional cooperation on public lands issues culminated in victories like the Great American Outdoors Act. This landmark legislation, passed in 2020 to address billions of dollars in deferred maintenance projects at national parks, has already significantly improved conditions at national parks. The National Park Service has used Great American Outdoors Act funds to address crumbling infrastructure at iconic national parks like Yellowstone and Great Smoky Mountains, to name just a few successes.
“But despite the significant bipartisan gains afforded to national parks over the years, we are witnessing some inconsistency on important park votes in this Congress. For instance, many in Congress consistently vote in support of national monuments under the Antiquities Act but miss the mark on annual park funding.” Pierno continued. “Disappointingly, this year’s scorecard shows a notable decline in bipartisanship, and a slight decrease in members of Congress who received an ‘A,’ score for voting to protect national parks.”
“As national parks continue to face sizable threats ranging from record understaffing and underfunding to the looming specter of climate change, now is not the time to abandon these priceless places. This scorecard should serve as a wake-up call for Congress to put partisan differences aside and work together to protect our one-of-a-kind national parks for future generations. Voters who love experiencing our outdoors and preserving our heritage expect nothing less from their elected officials.” Pierno said.
Fast facts from the National Parks Action Fund’s 2024 Congressional Scorecard:
- Less House members received an A – a 4% decline since 2022
- More House Members received an F – a 6% increase since 2022
- In eight states, the entire House delegation received an A score: Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Hawaii, DC, Delaware, and Connecticut
- In thirteen states and territories, the entire House Delegation received an F score: West Virginia, Utah, South Dakota, Puerto Rico, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Iowa, Idaho, Guam, Arkansas, and Alabama
- The 2024 Scorecard only scores members of the House of Representatives; the Senate did not take any votes on parks on the Senate floor that can be scored
The 2024 Congressional Scorecard is based on members of the 118th Congress’ votes on:
- Protecting Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida from harmful oil and gas drilling
- Allowing excessive, noisy air tours in national parks
- Jeopardizing the survival of endangered species
- Undoing protections around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico
- Preventing funding for National Park Service workforce development
- Weakening the future of conservation under the Antiquities Act
- Cutting funding for the National Park Service
View the National Parks Action Fund 2024 Congressional Scorecard here.
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About National Parks Action Fund
National Parks Action Fund (Action Fund) is the affiliated 501(c)(4) of National Parks Conservation Association. The Action Fund’s goals are to protect, restore, and fund the National Park System by informing the public about threats facing our parks, educating members of Congress about proposals to help parks, and influencing candidates’ positions to forward those proposals.
