Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) welcomed the first of two Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports released today on the management of air tours over national parks. Senator Akaka was among five Senators who requested the study in 2004 after hearings by the Energy Committee and Commerce Committee showed that there was no significant progress in implementing the National Park Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-181).

Senator Akaka said, "The law was enacted in 2000 following serious concerns raised by visitors and residents about the noise and congestion over national parks and nearby neighborhoods. The law mandated that the National Parks Service and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) work together with air tour operators to develop a managed approach to the number of air tours over national parks."

In a 2004 National Parks Subcommittee hearing, it was revealed that not one national park had an air tour plan in place. Senator Akaka, the sponsor of the air tour legislation in 2000, requested an assessment by the GAO of the implementation of the national parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000.

"I am pleased to see that the process is moving faster. The Hawaii national parks will be among the first of the national Parks to have plans, and others will be starting their planning process soon. Air tour operators will be able to make decisions about investments sooner with the plans and visitors to parks will have relief from overhead noise," stated Senator Akaka.

The report included recommendations for greater flexibility in determining which parks should receive plans; the need for greater funding for the Park Service to pay for its share of plan development costs with FAA; the need for better data on the number of air tours flown over national parks; and greater specification by FAA from headquarters to district offices on the flight safety standards.

The report is available at www.gao.gov.