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It\\u2019s been quite a year in the National Park System when the subject turns to unexpected bills. There was the historic flooding that hit Yellowstone National Park in June, monsoonal flooding that struck Death Valley National Park and Mojave National Preserve later this past summer, and even flooding at Vicksburg National Military Park that caused significant damage.\\xa0

It\\u2019s well known that the National Park Service doesn\\u2019t have the financial resources and staffing that it needs on a daily basis to keep the National Park System not just running, but well maintained. As a result, we shouldn\\u2019t be too surprised when natural disasters such as flooding, wildfires, and even droughts strike and generate repair bills in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Dollars that the National Park Service doesn\\u2019t have just sitting in a bank account, ready to pay for repairs.\\xa0

Today we\\u2019re going to explore the unexpected costs that have descended on the National Park Service, and how to pay for them, with John Garder, the National Parks Conservation Association\\u2019s senior director for budget and appropriations.\\xa0