The great-grandson of Theodore Roosevelt who was known as "the conservation president" says the nation must do more to protect and invest in its public lands.
"Our national parks are straining at the seams of popular overuse and congressional neglect. They are last on the list of what Congress provisions. Infrastructure is crumbling, with an $11.3 billion backlog in maintenance projects," Theodore Roosevelt IV, an investment banker and prominent conservationist, wrote in a column published in The Guardian.
"With an improving economy, it is time for Congress to stand up for our history and our natural inheritance, and move a decimal point so, at the very least, we can provide decent housing for national park staff and fix the backlog of maintenance problems.
"Then, we need to take innovative approaches, fully utilizing the boon of new technology, to raise more funds. Foreign visitors, for instance, may need to pay more, as they do in several other countries. Urban recreationists also need to step up to the plate."
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