WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.)  – the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, respectively – today introduced the Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act to address national park overcrowding and boost awareness of lesser-visited recreation areas. The bipartisan bill would create a program similar to the Waze app or other traffic navigation software that can inform potential visitors, in real-time, of crowd levels at public lands and provide suggestions for alternative recreation destinations. The bill would also improve federal coordination with rural park-adjacent communities known as ‘gateways’ to meet their growing needs for housing and other critical infrastructure.

The legislation comes after Senators Daines and King have heard from top National Parks Service (NPS) officials and conservation experts on the issues of overcrowding as many parks see a spike in visitors.

“From the coasts of Acadia to the mountains of Yellowstone, public lands have given generations of Americans an opportunity to experience our country’s unparalleled natural beauty,” said Senator King. “With visitation to our parks continuing to grow, Congress must use every modern resource to preserve these lands and help more people enjoy them for generations to come. Publishing real-time crowd levels with a ‘Waze for Parks’ and expanding coordination with gateway communities are commonsense measures to improve sustainability, strengthen visitor experiences, and support rural economies across our country. I appreciate Senator Daines’ partnership on this important bill and hope it can received continued bipartisan support.”

“Montana’s national parks and public lands are the crown jewels of the United States, and our Montana gateway communities know firsthand the benefits and the challenges they bring. Just as we protect our great outdoors, we also must take care of the communities supporting our national parks, especially as they face record visitation that strains their businesses, employees and housing,” Senator Daines said.

“Bar Harbor welcomes our park visitors and wants them to have a positive experience. There are significant burdens to being a Gateway Community to a National Park drawing almost four million visits annually,” said Jill Goldthwait, Bar Harbor Town Council Member. “We welcome more assistance in managing the visitors, and the sizeable impact they have on our community.”

The Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act would take serval steps to address growing visitation and support gateway communities:

• Establish a Visitation Pilot Program – or a “Waze for Parks” – at the Department of the Interior and Forest Service to address increased visitation by:
• Working with communities, states, tribes, non-profits and stakeholders
• Making visitation and crowd level data readily available for visitors
• Provide suggestions for alternative, lesser-known national parks and federal, state and local recreation sites

• Require the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to coordinate with gateway communities to identify and address community needs such as:
• Housing shortages
• Demands on existing municipal infrastructure,
• Accommodation and management of sustainable visitation 

• Create a digital version of the America the Beautiful annual parks and public lands pass.

Senator King is among the Senate’s loudest voices advocating for public lands and encouraging outdoor recreation. Last year, he pressed the Biden administration on two of his top priorities for the National Park Service (NPS): securing enough funding for necessary park maintenance and ensuring sufficient staffing of America’s greatest treasures. Senator King also helped lead the passage the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law; the legislation includes the Restore Our Parks Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Permanent Funding Act. The historic legislative package continues Senator King’s career-long focus on conservation efforts, dating back to his work prior to running for elected office through his years as Governor and his service in the Senate. Over the course of his time in the Blaine House, Governor King was responsible for conserving more land across Maine than all Governors before him combined.