National Park Service director Fran P. Mainella promised to cut back employee travel and other spending at a House hearing on Thursday.

Mainella responded to criticism from the leaders of the House Interior Appropriations subcommittee, who were upset over reports that park hours and services were being cut even as the agency spent more than $100 million to send employees to conferences as far away as Africa. Reps. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) and Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) are concerned that poor management was the real reason for the budget shortfalls.

Mainella said all travel requests must go through central office in Washington, D.C., and that she will approve construction projects that cost more than $5 million.

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Park Chief to Better Manage Costs (The Washington Post 3/26)
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