“Our mountains and rivers are a part of who we are and they are the birthright of all our people.” On May 29th, President Barack Obama opened the 30-day celebration of Great Outdoors Month honoring our national heritage with a Presidential Proclamation. America is known for its “purple mountain majesties” and its glorious wilderness, from deserts to temperate rain forests – but for how much longer?

This is because the law that created the federal program that operates as a primary source of revenue for national parks, the Land and Conservation Fund, is set to expire in September if Congress cannot agree on a renewal, putting the maintenance and accessibility of our most treasured outdoor spaces in jeopardy.

National Parks already suffer from an annual operations shortfall of more than a half-billion dollars, even though they generate nearly $27 billion in economic activity each year. And chronic underfunding of National Parks has led to an $11.5…