U.S., Feb. 15 -- A U.S. Senate bill to provide funding for National Park repairs is currently under committee review. A similar bill is moving forward in the House of Representatives. A bipartisan group of senators this summer introduced the Restore our Parks Act . It proposes to spend $6.5 billion over 5 years to make some of the most critical repairs in the parks. Lawmakers say National Parks are important not only to the nation's identity but to its economy.

Popular American National Parks like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Zion are $11.6 billion behind in maintenance issues. These problems threaten visitor access and safety with repairs including deteriorating historic buildings; unsafe roads; eroding trails; outdated campgrounds; ...