Slightly higher park entrance fees for senior citizens, more funds for a Centennial Challenge program, and improved interpretative staff are among the provisions of the National Park Service Centennial Act moving through Congress.

While the measure (attached below) introduced by U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah doesn't move funding for the National Park Service forward in leaps and bounds, it does move it forward.

"The good news for FY16 was that we got a bump up in appropriations. We lobbied, and Congressman (Peter) DeFazio got a boost for funding in the highway bill," said Kristen Brengel, the National Parks Conservation Association's vice president for government affairs. "All our success has been incremental.”

At the same time, she acknowledged that "no one has fully stepped up to inject money for staff and for maintanence.”

Major aspects of the Bishop bill would:

* Restructure the fee senior citizens 62 and older pay for annual park passes from $10 for a lifetime pass to $20 for an annual pass or $80 for a lifetime pass. "Revenue collected from sales of the passes above $10 will be deposited in the Centennial Challenge Fund to fund signature projects selected by the Secretary of the Interior;"

* Establishes a Centennial Challenge Fund, which requires a dollar-to-dollar federal to private match, for signature projects to help prepare the national parks for the next century of public enjoyment;

* "Directs the Secretary of the Interior to ensure that management of National Park System units and related areas is enhanced by the availability and utilization of a broad program of the highest quality interpretation and education;"

* Raises the age limit for participation in the Public Lands Corps from 25 to 30.

Seemingly missing from the legislation, which still has to pass the House and Senate, is a call from Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Arizona, to amend the bill with a requirement that Congress appropriate an additional $300 million per year for fiscal years 2017, 2018, and 2019 to help the Park Service address its maintenance backlog, estimated at roughly $12 billion.

At NPCA, Ms. Brengell said the Centennial Challenge program in past years has been greatly successful in moving projects and programs forward in the parks. For example:

* At Acadia National Park, Friends of Acadia raised nearly $33,000 to match an equal amount to underwrite an outreach program for fourth grade students;

* Friends of Andersonville raised $29,525 to trigger $28,390 in federal funds to replace window panels at the Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville National Historic Site;

* The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation raised $411,632, ore more than $100,000 more than the federal match of $294,487, to upgrade the fire alarm and suppression system in the historic Cone Manor House along the Blue Ridge Parkway;

* While the National Park Service had $750,000 to spend on improvements to the Hidden Falls area at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, the Grand Teton National Park Foundation responded by raising $2.35 million for the work;

In all, program funds of $15.2 million generated more than $32.65 million in matching funds. The total breakdown has been attached below.