National Parks in NEFL face funding shortfall, maintenance needs

National Parks are facing a more than $11 billion dollar maintenance backlog, and we’ve learned several Northeast Florida landmarks are on the list.

New information from the National Parks Service says the Castillo de San Marcos has $5,686,921 in deferred maintenance, or “the cost of maintenance that was not performed when it should have been or was scheduled to be and which, therefore, is put off or delayed’” according to the spreadsheet. The total deferred maintenance for the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve is $3,591,074. Fort Matanzas was not on the list.

Details about the exact maintenance were not immediately available, but we’re reaching out to the park management to learn more about the problems and how long they can last without getting the maintenance done. General categories including buildings, housing, trails, water systems, and more are all included in the funding needs.

With the NPS centennial approaching, they're launching a new campaign to bring a younger and more diverse group to the parks. The "Find Your Park" movement will be formally unveiled Thursday.

The President has included funding for some of these maintenance needs in his budget proposal, but it’s unclear whether that will last Congressional scrutiny.