Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee:
National Parks Subcommittee

The National Parks Subcommittee oversees the National Park System, national recreation areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers System, national monuments, and historic sites. It also supervises the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which provides money to federal, state, and local governments for the purchase of land, water, and wetlands.

Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY) chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Sen. Thomas was formerly Wyoming's At-Large Representative to the U.S. House. He consistently supports companies, such as mining companies, that seek to use the natural resources on public lands. In the 105th Congress Sen. Thomas voted in favor of preventing the payment of royalties to the Government from companies on the minerals they extracted from public lands. Sen. Thomas has not cast a pro-environment vote since 1996 and continued this trend with a 2003 LCV score of 0%.

Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) is the Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. He formerly represented Hawaii in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1999 Sen. Akaka voted against cutting funding of the Department of Energy's renewable energy programs. He has a 2003 LCV score of  84%.