King, Barrasso, Daines Team Up to Combat Workforce Housing Shortage at National Parks

September 20, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Steve Daines (R-MT), chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Parks respectively, and John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, have introduced bipartisan legislation to help combat the housing shortage that the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service and other land management agency employees are facing across the country. TheLand Manager Housing and Workforce Improvement Actwould authorize the NPS, U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior (DOI) to expand their authority to secure and build more workforce housing on or close to the federal lands. The legislation is especially needed in Maine; just months ago, a fundraiser was held in Bar Harbor tocreate additional housingfor up to 300 seasonal workers at Acadia National Park.
“Every corner of Maine and the country is being impacted by the housing crisis — and our National Parks are no exception,”said Senator King, Chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee. “The lack of safe, quality housing that doesn’t break the bank has made it difficult for park employees, and those who are called to preserve our public lands, to live in the communities they serve. The bipartisanLand Manager Housing and Workforce Improvement Actis a commonsense step, that allows the National Park Service and Forest Service use new approaches and public-private partnerships to combat the housing shortage. While this bill won’t solve the shortage on its own, it is a key part of a wider strategy to support our Parks and Forest Service employees. Safe, quality, and affordable housing is critical to ensuring that our parks stay staffed and open, and that visitors fully appreciate ‘America’s Best Idea.’”
“Wyoming is home to the most beautiful national parks in the country. We are blessed to host millions of visitors from across the country and around the world each year,”said Senator Barrasso, ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “To continue to do so, employees of the National Park Service and the Forest Service need access to affordable and adequate housing on or near the lands where they work. Our bipartisan bill will help address the growing demand for housing by making it possible for these agencies to partner with the private sector to find solutions to the housing shortage.
“This legislation will provide much-needed housing relief to Montanans who are living paycheck to paycheck and bearing the brunt of the Biden-Harris administration’s sky-high inflation,”saidSenator Daines.“By prioritizing National Park Service workforce housing and supporting local gateway communities, we are one step closer towards addressing the housing shortage both in Montana and across the U.S.”
Specifically theLand Manager Housing and Workforce Improvement Actwould authorize:
As Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks and a lifelong advocate for conservation, Senator King has spent decades championing environmental stewardship and advocacy. Senator King was an active participant in discussions to ensure that the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument would not be designated against the will of local citizens. Prior to rising to the position of National Parks Subcommittee Chairman, Senator King also ledthe Great American Outdoors Actto address the $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks. For his continued leadership, Senator King was awardedthe inaugural National Park Foundation “Hero” Award.
Senator King has also long been committed to ensuring Maine people across the state can access safe and affordable housing, as well asworking with his colleagueson creative solutions to combat the housing shortage. He introduced the bipartisanAffordable Housing Credit Improvement Actto create nearly two million new affordable homes across the country — including thousands in Maine. He also worked with his Republican colleagues to improve affordability of rural homes and farms through theAccess to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act of 2023and theFarmhouse-to Workforce Housing Act.Additionally, he hasworked to expand affordable workforce housingon Mount Desert Island to support the economic development surrounding Acadia National Park. Earlier this year, he co-sponsoredbipartisan legislationto expand affordable housing availability in Maine through redevelopment of historic buildings.
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