Commentary: Congressman Pearce issued the following statement after the National Park Service (NPS) announced plans to hold a town hall regarding Carlsbad Caverns broken elevators:
"Carlsbad Caverns are a vital part of the local Carlsbad and Eddy County economy. Since November, Carlsbad Caverns has been without a working elevator to take local, national, and international tourists into the caverns to witness their beauty firsthand. The broken elevators have dramatically impacted not only tourism to the Caverns, but sales and lodging in the community. Despite the important role that tourism plays in the community, NPS has been largely unaccountable and uncommunicative about the Agency’s efforts to fix the elevators.
“My office has been urging NPS, as it did with the Department of Energy during the WIPP stoppage, to be fully open, transparent, and accountable to the community. This simply has not happened. After weeks of communication with our office, it appears that NPS may finally be taking the first step in the right direction by hosting a town hall for the local community next Tuesday. Government agencies must be accountable to the people they serve. I hope NPS takes this message to heart in next week’s meeting and in all future actions with Carlsbad Caverns as well as all the sites they operate nationwide."said Congressman Steve Pearce.
The Community town hall will be held on Tuesday, March 15th from 5:30-7:00 pm (MT) at the National Cave and Karst Institute. 400-1 Cascades Avenue in Carlsbad.