In the complex landscape of managing public lands, addressing the backlog of deferred maintenance has become a pressing concern for federal agencies. From fiscal years 2019 through 2022, all five eligible agencies under the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) witnessed an increase in reported deferred maintenance of assets, including campgrounds and roads. The National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) experienced the most significant uptick, attributed in part to changes in reporting methodologies, such as incorporating project execution costs.
The LRF, designed to allocate up to $1.9 billion annually from 2021 to 2025, aims to tackle the challenge of deferred maintenance. In fiscal year 2022, roads and other transportation assets emerged as the primary contributors to deferred maintenance at BLM and the Forest Service. The agencies’ project selection processes under the LRF considered factors like the feasibility of funding through annual appropriations, preventing projects from becoming prohibitively expensive. An illustrative example is the Bureau of Indian Education, which grappled with a $70.9 million project, a figure surpassing most of its non-LRF funding ($95.3 million) for facility improvement and repair in the same year.
A recent review by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) evaluated agency practices for selecting LRF projects against six leading practices for managing deferred maintenance. The findings indicated that these agencies generally adhered to all six practices. For instance, all agencies incorporated risk assessments into their project selection processes, acknowledging the potential threats to safety posed by delayed maintenance.
While agencies reported challenges in reducing deferred maintenance, such as issues in the construction supply chain and inflation-related cost escalation, aspects of the LRF program design have been instrumental in addressing some of these challenges. Agency officials highlighted the flexibility provided by contingency funds for LRF projects, allowing them to navigate inflation-induced hurdles more effectively.
As federal agencies continue their efforts to balance the demands of maintaining public lands with the available funding, the LRF serves as a crucial tool to strategically address deferred maintenance challenges. By aligning with leading practices, agencies are better positioned to manage risks, enhance safety, and ensure the efficient use of resources in maintaining the integrity of our nation’s public lands.
Read the full GAO report here.
