This year, as Americans observe our 250th anniversary as a nation, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate 100 years as one of Tennessee’s most iconic landmarks. There is no better way to honor these milestones than by reinvesting in Tennessee’s public lands.

	Victor Ashe

Senator Bill Hagerty recently cosponsored the America the Beautiful Act (Senate Bill 1547), recognizing the ongoing need for maintenance and repairs in our parks and public lands. As a companion bill is announced in the house, Tennessee’s representatives should do the same. Neglecting the needs of our parks and letting them fall into disrepair is doing ourselves and our country a disservice.

As executive director of the President’s Commission on American Outdoors, chaired by then-Governor Lamar Alexander during the Reagan administration, I saw this firsthand. The commission met with and heard from communities across America. The message was clear: this country takes pride in its parks and wants its elected officials to be good stewards of these lands.

Five years ago, Congress recognized the need to invest in national parks and created the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) through the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act. This provided national park sites with billions of dollars to be used for long overdue repairs and maintenance.

But the work is not done. Bridges and roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park still need to be repaired or replaced, and the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge is awaiting a necessary safety barrier. These repairs enhance our ability to enjoy the parks and landmarks that define our state. Continuing to delay maintenance is irresponsible and detrimental to our public lands. Tennessee’s congressional delegation should recognize the importance of these parks to our state’s history and scenic beauty by supporting the LRF.

Since the establishment of the LRF in 2020, over $50 million has been invested in Tennessee’s national park sites. This paved the way for the rehabilitation of the Foothills Parkway at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the repairs to the water and wastewater systems on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

The Great American Outdoors Act provided five years of funding for maintenance; unless the LRF is reauthorized by Congress, that money will run out. The America the Beautiful Act was introduced this year to renew the LRF, providing states like Tennessee with the necessary funds to support its public lands, including national parks, historic sites, and battlefields. This bill proposes reauthorizing the LRF at $2 billion per year for eight years to address deferred maintenance needs.

As someone with firsthand experience in balancing preservation and economic growth, I know that investing in maintenance plays an important role in both. The outdoor recreation industry creates thousands of jobs and relies on national parks and their facilities to provide rafting and hiking trips for their customers. Allowing critical stormwater and wastewater infrastructure to fall into disrepair has a negative impact on wildlife. Maintaining and upgrading these facilities helps mitigate the impact that millions of visitors have on the natural environment.

In my time as mayor of Knoxville, I worked to protect and increase our city’s recreational amenities. The riverfront, parks, greenways, trees, and historic sites that we fought to protect are the fabric of the city. At the state level, I helped champion the “Penny for Parks” campaign, which shifted one cent from the state gas tax to go toward preserving our parks. When public lands and historic sites are lost due to disrepair and neglect, the whole community suffers. As I used to say, “Park investments are an investment in our future. They are an investment in our youth.”

So, as we look back on 250 years, my mind is drawn to the future that we leave to our children and grandchildren. For years our national parks have stood as timeless symbols of our country’s appreciation for the wonderful environment we live in. It’s important that we invest in and maintain the quality and character of these parks so that 250 years from now, Tennesseans will still be able to enjoy the beauty, recreation, and wildlife that they offer.


Victor Ashe is former Knoxville mayor, state senator, and ambassador to Poland.