FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Hearing: COVID-19 Impacts on Public Lands and National Parks

Original title: THE IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON USERS OF PUBLIC LANDS, FORESTS, AND NATIONAL PARKS

January 1, 2021

COVID-19 public lands national parks tourism economic impact

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing highlights the economic vulnerability of rural communities and small businesses that rely on national park tourism, which saw a 22 percent drop in visitation and a projected 46 percent revenue decline for during the 2020 pandemic period.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Park concessionaires

These businesses face a projected 46 percent decline in revenue due to reduced park visitation.

Gateway communities

Small businesses in these areas rely on tourism spending, which decreased significantly due to lower park attendance.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2021.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the management, visitation, and economic stability of U.S. public lands and national parks. Witnesses and committee members discussed the decline in tourism revenue and the resulting financial strain on and park .

Key Facts

National park visitation declined by 22 percent between March and July 2020 compared to typical years.
The National Park Hospitality Association forecasted a 46 percent revenue decline for park concessionaires in 2020.
National parks typically attract over 120 million visitors between March and July annually.
In a typical year, park visitors spend $21 billion on travel, lodging, food, and shopping in and around national parks.
The 2020 climbing season at Denali National Park was cancelled.
The hearing was held on July 23, 2020, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

How much revenue do national parks typically generate for local economies?

In a normal year, visitors spend approximately $21 billion on travel, lodging, food, and shopping inside and near national parks.

What was the impact of the pandemic on park concessionaires?

The National Park Hospitality Association projected a 46 percent decline in revenue for during 2020.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Pandemic-driven tourism collapse

The document captures a specific moment in 2020 where public health measures directly caused a 22 percent drop in park visitation, highlighting the fragility of tourism-dependent rural economies.

National Park Foundation Outdoor Recreation Roundtable

Connected Entities

personJoe Manchin III“Ranking Member of the Committee”Map →

organizationCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources“Senate committee conducting the hearing”Map →

personLisa Murkowski“Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources”Map →

personEthan L. Lane“Vice President of Government Affairs, National Cattlemen's Beef Association”Map →

personKelly R. Hepler“Secretary, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks”Map →

personWill Shafroth“President & CEO, National Park Foundation”Map →

personDouglas Kemper“Executive Director, Colorado Water Congress”Map →

personJessica Turner“Executive Director, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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