Mr. Sams goes to Washington

By Terry Murry on Wednesday, October 20th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation leader Chuck Sams appeared before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to testify regarding his nomination to be director of the National Parks Service. He was introduced to the committee by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), who called Sams an example of the best of the state.

“He doesn’t just listen, he hears people,” Wyden said. “He cares and he follows up.”

Sams told the committee that his first priority as director would be his staff. The service is understaffed at a time when more and more people are visiting the parks.

“There is 20 percent less staff than there were several years ago, and yet we’ve seen this 20 percent increase (in visitors),” he said. “People are loving their parks to death.”

There is also a long list of deferred maintenance projects that need to be performed. Sams said he wants to ensure that the most critical projects get attention quickly.

“We have to stop that deterioration,” he said. “I want to make sure that those investments are very clear and open to the public so that you would see exactly what we’re doing,” Sams said.

The committee’s full meeting, involving Sams and two other federal nominees, is available at https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2021/10/full-committee-hearing-to-consider-pending-nominations.