Pender County

Request for Board Action

TO: Board of County Commissioners

FROM: Randell Woodruff
DATE: May 21, 2018
SUBJECT: Resolution Encouraging Congress to Create a Reliable, Predictable
Stream of Resources to Address Deferred Maintenance Needs in
America's National Parks.

SUMMARY:
Attached for the Board's consideration is a resolution encouraging Congress to support
dedicated funding to address the $11.6 billion deferred maintenance backlog in the
National Park System, including $2.9 million at Moores Creek National Battlefield. In
addition to the resolution, you will find attached some additional background information
including:
• background on the deferred maintenance backlog;
• a list of the 27 other cities and counties in NC that have adopted similar
resolutions;
• the deferred maintenance numbers for Moores Creek NB ($2.9 million);
• and the economic benefits of visitation to the park for surrounding communities
($5.5 million in spending, supporting 80 jobs).
Staff met with Yarone Miller who is the officer for the National Parks Campaign at the
end of April. Mr. Miller provided this information.

ACTION REQUESTED:
To consider the attached resolution encouraging Congress to support dedicated funding
to address the $11.6 billion deferred maintenance backlog in the National Park System,
including $2.9 million at Moores Creek National Battlefield.
 Board of Commissioners
George R. Brown, Jr., Chairman County Manager
Archibald “Fred” McCoy, Vice Chairman Randell K. Woodruff
Jaqueline A. (Jackie) Newton
David A. Piepmeyer County Attorney
J. David Williams, Jr. Carl W. “Trey” Thurman

A RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING CONGRESS TO CREATE A RELIABLE, PREDICTABLE

STREAM OF RESOURCES TO ADDRESS DEFERRED MAINTENANCE NEEDS IN AMERICA’S
NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.
WHEREAS, America’s National Park System is a living testament to our citizens valor, our
nation’s hardships, our victories, and our traditions as Americans, and has been called "America’s
Best Idea;” and

WHEREAS, the National Park System preserves the diversity, culture, and heritage of all
Americans, and serves as a living classroom for future generations; and

WHEREAS, in 2016, the National Park Service celebrated its centennial, and currently
manages more than 400 nationally significant sites and an invaluable collection of more than 75,000
natural and cultural assets that span 84 million acres across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and
several U.S. territories and insular areas; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to ten national park units, including Cape Hatteras
National Seashore, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Moores
Creek National Battlefield.

WHEREAS, Pender County is home to Moores Creek National Battlefield, and benefits from
the tourism associated with visitors to the park and the improved quality of place for residents; and

WHEREAS, the National Park Service’s mission is to “to conserve the scenery and the natural
and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such
manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations;”
and

WHEREAS, in 2016, the National Park System had more than 331 million visits, including
84,000 to Moores Creek National Battlefield; and

WHEREAS, in 2016, National Park Service estimates indicate that park visitors spent more
than $5.4 million in the communities neighboring Moores Creek National Battlefield, supporting an
estimated 81 jobs; and

WHEREAS, the National Park Service has the obligation to preserve our nation’s history;
promote access to national parks for all citizens; stimulate revenue to sustain itself and nearby
communities; educate the public about America’s natural, cultural and historical resources, and
provide safe facilities and environs to enjoy these resources; and

WHEREAS, in 2016, the National Park Service estimated a deferred maintenance backlog of
$11.3 billion, including $2.9 million at Moores Creek National Battlefield, which consists of repairs to
aging historical structures, trails, sewers, thousands of miles of roads, bridges, tunnels, and other vital
infrastructure.

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 WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of Congress to maintain America’s national parks to ensure
our natural places and our history is preserved and documented for future generations, and for the
adjacent communities that rely on the direct and indirect economic benefits generated by visits to
national park sites.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE COUNTY OF

PENDER that Board of Commissioners urges Congress to create a reliable, predictable stream of
resources to address deferred maintenance needs in America’s National Park System, and to ensure
that federal infrastructure initiatives include provisions to address park maintenance.
Adopted this the 21st day of May, 2018.

__________________________________
George R. Brown, Chairman
ATTEST: Pender County Board of Commissioners

_____________________________
Melissa Long
Clerk to the Board

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NPS DEFERRED MAINTENANCE
By the Numbers - FY16

NPS Deferred Maintenance

by Asset Type
Paved Roads
$5,711.5M (50.4%)

75,000 Buildings
ASSETS $2,243.0M (19.8%)

Marina &

$11.3B
Waterfront Systems
$750.6M (6.6%)

Water Systems
$668.6M (5.9%) TOTAL NPS
Deferred maintenance is defined DEFERRED
as a repair need that has not been Maintained Landscapes
MAINTENANCE
addressed for a year or more. There $626.8M (5.5%) BACKLOG
are over 41,000 assets in need of
All Other
repair. They include crumbling roads,
$621.2M (5.5%)
rotting historic buildings, eroding
Trails
trails, outdated visitor amenities, and $527.0M (4.7%)
deteriorating memorials.
Military Fortifications
$182.9M (1.6%)

Transportation Projects
Over 10,000 miles of roads provide critical access to national parks for millions of visitors

$5.7B every year. NPS transportation assets include paved roads, bridges, tunnels, and parking
lots, as well as major commuter thoroughfares, such as the George Washington Memorial
Parkway. Collectively, these transportation assets account for roughly half ($5.7B) of the
NPS maintenance backlog.

Non-Transportation Projects
Non-transportation maintenance needs include eroding trails, unsafe water and electrical
$5.6B systems, waterfronts, and thousands of buildings in disrepair - including visitor facilities,
historic buildings, employee housing, and military structures. Collectively, non-transportation
assets account for roughly half ($5.6B) of the NPS maintenance backlog.

Historic Assets
NPS is responsible for the preservation of some our nation’s most historically significant

45% places. These assets include thousands of archaeological sites, nearly 27,000 historic
and pre-historic structures, and more than 167 million museum items that document our
country’s heritage. Historic assets account for 45% of the NPS maintenance backlog.

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Source: FY16 National Park Service data
 6E+09
$6B Deferred Maintenance
by Priority Rating $5.1B
NPS Priorities (Total $11.3B) 45.0%
The National Park Service is required by 5E+09
$5B
Congress to preserve national parks for
future generations to enjoy. With more
than 75,000 park assets to maintain, 4E+09
$4B
the agency has developed a rating
system to help direct limited funding
$3.2B
28.0%
to the highest priority maintenance
3E+09
projects. Based on FY2016 NPS data, the $3B
estimated cost to repair highest priority
assets—those properties or items that $2.0B
17.3%
are considered critical to the overall 2E+09
$2B
mission of the agency—is $5.1 billion
($2.8 billion in transportation needs and
$2.3 billion in non-transportation needs). 1E+09
$722M
Examples of high priority assets include $1B $375M 6.4%
historic buildings, memorials, military 3.3%
fortifications, visitor centers, and key
0
infrastructure systems. $0 Lowest Low Medium High Highest

Source: FY16 National Park Service data

Park Economics

331M recreational
$18.4B
spent in local
visits gateway communities
HOTEL HOTEL

$34.9B
generated in national
318K
jobs supported by
economic output visitor spending

Source: 2016 National Park Visitor Spending Effects: Economic Contributions to Local Communities, States, and the Nation.
Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/EQD/NRR—2017/1421

Contact: Marcia Argust, Director Contact: Geoffrey Brown, Director The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of
Restore America's Parks Government Relations knowledge to solve today’s most challenging problems. Pew
Email: margust@pewtrusts.org Email: gbrown@pewtrusts.org applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public
Page 5 of 11
Website: pewtrusts.org/NationalParks Website: pewtrusts.org/NationalParks policy, inform the public, and invigorate civic life.
 The following communities in North Carolina have adopted resolutions urging Congress to provide
more resources to address deferred maintenance in our national parks.

North Carolina
1. Alleghany County
2. Ashe County
3. Avery County
4. Gaston County
5. Graham County
6. Haywood County
7. Jackson County
8. Watauga County
9. City of Asheville
10. City of Gastonia
11. City of Hendersonville
12. City of Kings Mountain
13. City of Marion
14. City of Webster
15. Town of Boone
16. Town of Bryson City
17. Town of Dillsboro
18. Town of Franklin
19. Town of Grover
20. Town of Jefferson
21. Town of Maggie Valley
22. Town of Robbinsville
23. Town of Sparta
24. Town of Summerfield
25. Town of Waynesville
26. Town of West Jefferson
27. Village of Flat Rock

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 North Carolina | SER | Moores Creek National Battlefield
Multiple Asset Types
Rouzer - NC 7
Page 7 of 11

Total Deferred Maintenance

$2,865,728
Deferred Maintenance by Asset Category
Parking Lot

Buildings

Paved Roads

Trails

Maintained Landscape

Priority for
Waste Water Systems Operational
Funding
Boundary
1. Highest
Interpretive Media 2. High
3. Medium
Fuel System 4. Low
5. Lowest
Monument/Memorial

$K $200 K $400 K $600 K $800 K $1.0 M $1.2 M $1.4 M $1.6 M $1.8 M

Priority for Operational Funding Transportation Asset Breakdown Historic Asset Breakdown
by $ Value by $ Value by $ Value
5%
6% 33% 99%
82% 67% 1%
4%
3%

Data Visualizer - National Park Service Asset Portfolio

 North Carolina | SER | Moores Creek National Battlefield
Multiple Asset Types
Rouzer - NC 7
Page 8 of 11

Summary of Deferred Maintenance

Compared to Replacement Value

Deferred Current
Maintenance Replacement Value

NC $2.9M $21.8M
Moores Creek National Battlefield $2.9M $21.8M
Boundary $50K $684K
Buildings $497K $5.5M
Administration Building $48K $563K
Comfort Station $76K $383K
Fire Pump Building $10K $229K
Imes Building $0 $89K
Maintenance Facility $43K $493K
Patriots Hall $179K $907K
Picnic Shelter $6K $470K
Visitor Center $136K $2.3M
Well Head House $0 $7K
Well House & Museum Storage Building $0 $104K
Communications System $0 $762K
Electrical System $0 $242K
Fuel System $20K $18K
Interpretive Media $40K $1.4M
Maintained Landscape $89K $3.6M
Monument/Memorial $14K $1.3M
Bridge Monument $2K $32K
James Moore Monument $3K $98K
Loyalist Monument $2K $95K
Patriot Monument $2K $763K
Slocumb Monument $3K $247K
Stage Road Monument $3K $45K
Parking Lot $1.6M $855K
Administrative Office Parking RTE 902 $19K $55K
Patriots Hall Parking Area RTE 901 $551K $434K
Visitor Center Parking Area RTE 900 $1.0M $325K
Visitor Center Paved Area RTE 903 $19K $40K
.
(*) - Costs lumped into another unit.
(**) - Costs not documented.
Data Visualizer - National Park Service Asset Portfolio (***) - Costs for park included in another state.
 North Carolina | SER | Moores Creek National Battlefield
Multiple Asset Types
Rouzer - NC 7
Page 9 of 11

Paved Roads $326K $1.5M

HWY 210 RTE VSIT $0 $328K
Moores Creek Drive RTE 010 $176K $683K
Patriots Hall Drive RTE 200 $150K $524K
Trail Bridge $0 $123K
Trails $151K $3.9M
History Trail $137K $2.8M
Negro Head Point Road Historic Trace $14K $656K
Tarheel Trail $0 $511K
Unpaved Roads $0 $79K
Waste Water Systems $87K $537K
Administration Building Waste Water System $0 $99K
Comfort Station Waste Water System $87K $129K
Maintenance Facility Waste Water System $0 $104K
Patriots Hall Waste Water System $0 $159K
Visitor Center Wastewater System $0 $46K
Water Systems $0 $1.3M
Grand Total $2.9M $21.8M

.
(*) - Costs lumped into another unit.
(**) - Costs not documented.
Data Visualizer - National Park Service Asset Portfolio (***) - Costs for park included in another state.
 Visitor Spending $5.5 million
Camping $105k
Gas $802k
Groceries $355k
Hotels $1.9 million
Recreation Industries $410k
Restaurants $1.1 million
Retail $531k
Transportation $312k

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Source: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm

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