The House Committee on Natural Resources and Subcommittee on Federal Lands are searching for information about a $200 million transfer to a luxury park in Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s district.
During a Subcommittee on Federal Lands (Subcommittee) oversight hearing last week, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams testified that Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon A. Estenoz “personally directed the transfer of $200 million in funding provided in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to address deferred maintenance to the Presidio Trust.”
According to American Thinker, the Presidio Trust is near Nancy Pelosi’s mansion.
That park, The Presidio of San Francisco, happens to be near her mansion there (the one where her husband Paul was attacked – a story that has disappeared from the media when it became apparent the suspected assailant was a lefty).
The move follows the removal of all Republican appointees to the Presidio Trust Board, which would have been able to review the move and the expenditure of the $200 million (there are a lot of contracts to be given to private interests to perform the work. The most famous member of that board was Michael Savage.
Nancy Pelosi announced in a February press release that she secured the massive payment for the Presidio of San Francisco.
San Francisco – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi announced today that the Presidio of San Francisco is set to receive $200 million from U.S. Department of the Interior: one of the largest single federal investments in the Presidio Trust since its establishment. Secured by Speaker Emerita Pelosi in Democrats’ historic Inflation Reduction Act last summer, this new funding will meet many deeply needed, long-deferred maintenance needs: bolstering the Presidio’s climate resilience and ensuring that the park remains free and open to the public for years to come.
“These federal dollars reaffirm what San Franciscans already know: the Presidio is a national treasure,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said. “This critical federal funding will ensure the Presidio’s spectacular front window to the Bay is maintained by renewing and replacing aged utilities and their infrastructure.”
“The history of the Presidio is a tribute to the greatness of America’s future and our commitment to renewal and progress,” Pelosi continued. “For centuries, the Presidio has stood as the Guardian of the Golden Gate. After years as a military post, the people of San Francisco claimed this landmark – and transformed it into an iconic public space, now inseparable from San Francisco’s identity. This new federal funding will preserve the beauty and accessibility of the Presidio – now and into the future.”
House Republicans want answers on the intended use of the funds.
House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Subcommittee on Federal Lands Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-WI) wrote in a letter to Shannon A. Estenoz:
“During a Subcommittee on Federal Lands (Subcommittee) oversight hearing held on Tuesday, April 18, NPS Director Chuck Sams testified that you personally directed the transfer of $200 million in funding provided in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to address deferred maintenance to the Presidio Trust, despite the fact that this was not consistent with standard agency practices for selecting priority deferred maintenance projects. As part of its oversight activities, the Committee is now examining this transfer of funds to the Presidio Trust.
“As you are aware, the National Park System currently reports approximately $22.3 billion in deferred maintenance and repairs. In addition to other discretionary and mandatory funding sources, the NPS was provided with approximately $1.53 billion this fiscal year, including $1.33 billion through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) and $200 million in the IRA, to address priority deferred maintenance projects across the nation. Concerningly, nearly 24 percent of that funding went to one Congressional district, represented by former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, including the entire $200 million provided for deferred maintenance in the IRA. Prior to this transfer, the Committee raised concerns and conducted oversight inquiries into the disproportionate amount of funding allocated to former Speaker Pelosi’s district compared to the rest of the National Park System.
“Director Sams’ testimony before the Subcommittee raised numerous questions about whether the hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding transferred to the Presidio in San Francisco will be appropriately utilized for deferred maintenance and repairs. The Presidio of San Francisco is a 1,500-acre former military installation now used as a public recreation area within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area with pristine golf courses, high-end hotels, and luxury private homes and apartments. During the hearing, Director Sams testified that the Department transferred funding to the Presidio without stipulations or restrictions on whether the Presidio’s golf courses or luxury hotels would be eligible federal funding for deferred maintenance or improvements.”
Read the full letter below:
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!