While the closure of Spruce Tree House is disappointing, it unfortunately also highlights a bigger problem. The infrastructure repair backlog for National Park Service sites here in Colorado is more than $200 million, including over $55 million at Mesa Verde. That repair backlog is a serious threat to the longevity of those sites, as well as the surrounding local economies that rely heavily on tourist dollars driven by our national parks, monuments, and historic sites.

Especially during this National Park Service centennial year, it is important to sufficiently fund our national parks so that they may be enjoyed for another 100 years. The future of special sites like Mesa Verde depends on it.

David and Eleni Albrechta

Durango