Tester’s National Park Week Resolution Passes Senate

Resolution designates April 16-24 National Park Week

Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s resolution designating April 16-24 as National Park Week, and encouraging people around the country and world to spend time in America’s treasured national parks.

Montana is home to Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park, and in honor of National Park Week entrance into all national parks will be free on Saturday, April 16.

“National Parks are one of the best ideas that the Federal Government ever had, and we’re lucky to have two of the nation’s finest parks right in our backyard,” said Tester. “Glacier and Yellowstone help drive our $7.1 billion outdoor economy, provide beautiful landscapes for families to make memories, and hold significant importance for Tribal Nations throughout the West and in Montana. As a proud supporter of our National Park System, I encourage everyone in the Treasure State to get outside and enjoy one of our world-class parks this week.”

Tester is a longtime champion for Montana’s National Parks, and recently was the only member of the Montana delegation to support legislation directing funding towards replacement of the Headquarters Wastewater and the Swiftcurrent Water Distribution Center systems in Glacier National Park.

Tester has been Montana’s most staunch defender of the public lands. In 2020, Tester pushed his landmark Great American Outdoors Act through Congress and into law, which secured full, mandatory funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million a year, and $9.5 billion to address maintenance backlogs on public lands across the United States – including National Parks. Montana has seen hundreds of millions of dollars supporting LWCF projects to protect public access and wildlife habitat.

Established in 1964, the LWCF uses revenues from oil and gas leasing to fund conservation and recreation priorities across the nation. Since its creation, the LWCF has invested millions into Montana’s $7.1 billion outdoor recreation economy. Tester first sponsored a bill to fully fund the LWCF in 2009, and until recently was the only member of the Montana delegation to support full, mandatory funding for LWCF.

Read Tester’s full resolution for National Park Week HERE.