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San Francisco Chronicle
12-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
What Trump's latest order means for national parks like Yosemite
Visiting California's national parks — including Yosemite, Redwood and Lassen Volcanic — could get more expensive for international tourists, following a sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week. The order instructs the Department of the Interior to raise entry fees for non-U.S. residents at all national parks and federal lands that currently charge admission. This includes the annual 'America the Beautiful' pass, which provides access to hundreds of federally managed sites. 'It is the policy of my Administration to preserve these opportunities for American families in future generations by increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents, and expanding opportunities to enjoy America's splendid national treasures,' Trump wrote in the order. The changes could affect heavily visited parks in the West, including Yosemite — which welcomed nearly 4 million visitors in 2024 — and Muir Woods National Monument, a popular tourist destination just north of San Francisco. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the increased fees will help fund long-overdue infrastructure repairs and upgrades across the National Park System. 'This will ensure our parks stay accessible, sustainable, and protected for generations to come,' he posted on X. Beyond fee hikes, the order grants Americans 'preferential treatment' in recreational access — including lotteries and permit systems — potentially impacting popular experiences such as Yosemite's Half Dome hike or backcountry camping. Trump also revoked a 2017 directive by President Barack Obama that prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion in public land management. The now-revoked policy aimed to improve access for underserved communities and elevate underrepresented historical narratives. That effort had been expanded under the Biden administration. Before leaving office, former National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said the agency worked to ensure 'every American sees a reflection of themselves in the parks.' At the same time, the administration is proposing a 30% cut to staffing and operations at national parks, according to budget documents reviewed by advocacy groups such as the National Parks Conservation Association.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Good Morning America' to broadcast live from Rehoboth Beach, highlight lifeguards July 3
ABC News' "Good Morning America" will broadcast live from Rehoboth Beach July 3 for the first episode in a new yearlong series, '50 States in 50 Weeks: America the Beautiful.' In honor of the show's 50th anniversary and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, each week, a "Good Morning America" anchor or correspondent will visit a new state, following the order in which they joined the United States, a news release said. As any Delawarean will tell you, Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1787. The episodes will spotlight "local changemaker(s) and showcase the state's unique culture, history, traditions and landmarks," the release said. In Delaware, "Good Morning Animal" will feature "the heroic lifeguards of Rehoboth Beach who are keeping the community safe all summer long," according to the release. Chief "Good Morning America" Meteorologist Ginger Zee will be in Rehoboth Beach to meet and speak with the lifeguards. Rehoboth: Demolition deadline for Rehoboth Beach boardwalk buildings extended again The show, featuring anchors Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan, airs live Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. on ABC. According to a social media post from the City of Rehoboth Beach, "Good Morning America" will broadcast live from the new beach control headquarters and the beach. "Be there by 6:40 a.m. for your chance to be on national television," the post said. Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@ or on Facebook. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why 'Good Morning America' will broadcast live from Rehoboth July 3
Chicago Tribune
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Lincolnwood Youth Strings played the Fourth of July concert in Lincolnwood as community members sang along
Independence Day in Lincolnwood started with patriotic concert that featured youth on strings. The July 4 concert in the north suburb was part of the town celebrating 25 years of music and community. The Lincolnwood Youth Strings, under the direction of Carol Janossy, was the featured performer of the concert, which was held in Proesel Park. The musicians presented a patriotic musical salute to kick off the holiday. The audience was encouraged to sing along to such songs as 'America the Beautiful' and 'God Bless America.'
Los Angeles Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
California moves closer to ‘30x30' conservation goals as threats to public lands loom
California officials have moved closer to their goal of conserving 30% of lands and coastal waters by the target year of 2030, a revelation that arrives as the Trump administration advances directives that could claw back areas that were set aside. Nearly five years after the inception of the so-called 30x30 initiative, California has conserved 26.1% of its lands and 21.9% of its coastal waters — or roughly 41,000 square miles and 1,150 square miles, respectively — according to a California Natural Resources Agency report released Monday. In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that set the 30x30 effort in motion. The initiative kicked off in earnest two years later when officials released a detailed road map for the plan. At that time, approximately 23.8% of lands and 16.2% of coastal waters were conserved. The stated goals of the 30x30 initiative extend beyond conservation. The plan also seeks to restore biodiversity, expand Californians' access to nature and help mitigate and build resilience to climate change. Now at the halfway point in the initiative, the state needs to protect less than 4 million acres of land and 283,000 acres of coastal waters to meet its goal. Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the CNRA, said the state is on track to hit its target — but could be stymied by the federal government, which owns nearly half of California's lands. Earlier this year, Trump terminated a national version of the 30x30 plan known as the America the Beautiful initiative. 'Federal attacks on public lands and environmental protections ... could impact our progress,' Crowfoot said, 'and we could actually see — if these federal attacks are successful — our acreage moving backwards.' In the past year, an additional 853,000 acres of land and 191,000 acres of water were conserved in California — representing an area the size of Glacier National Park in Montana, the report states. The majority of that land — roughly 685,000 acres — received enhanced protection through former President Biden's designation of two new national monuments early this year: Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands. The monuments include vast swaths of land in the Southern California desert and Northern California forests that tribes consider sacred. The Trump administration has sent signals that it may seek to abolish both Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands. In March, the Trump administration issued and then appeared to roll back an announcement implying the president had rescinded his predecessor's orders creating the monuments. Then, last month, the Justice Department released a legal opinion that concluded that Trump could undo his predecessor's creation of Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands. As of today, the monuments still exist, though their subsistence seems at risk. Leaving the monuments aside, California's biggest 30x30 gains were on the sea, with the amount of coastal waters conserved jumping nearly 6% year over year. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, off California's rugged Central Coast, represents nearly all of the newly conserved waters. Designated by the Biden administration last November, the 4,543-square-mile sanctuary marked the first such preserve in California to be managed in cooperation with Indigenous peoples. The designation prohibits new oil drilling and offers other protections, but some conservationists believe it falls short of meeting the criteria for inclusion in the 30x30 tally. 'California's national marine sanctuaries unfortunately do not limit damaging stressors on marine biodiversity,' said Sandy Aylesworth, director of the Pacific Initiative at the Natural Resources Defense Council. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary allows for the operation of an oil and gas pipeline as well industrial fishing, she said. 'So if this area is to count toward the goal, we'd like to see it meaningfully strengthen biodiversity protections in the sanctuary,' she said. Crowfoot, the state Natural Resources secretary, said a management plan that would do that is underway. If it doesn't materialize in a way that boosts environmental and biodiversity protections, he said, then the sanctuary could be removed from areas the state considers protected under the 30x30 plan. That would knock the figure for protected waters down. Looking ahead, Crowfoot said officials are focused on expanding California state parks by integrating private land nestled inside them as well as adjacent properties purchased by conservation groups. An estimated 30,000 acres of land could be added to the state park system for no additional cost because it's within a park or next to it, he said. Crowfoot called the 30x30 plan 'more important than ever' in light of worsening climate change, with the report stating that natural ecosystems conserved through the initiative capture and store greenhouse gases. Those areas are also expected to serve as refuges for animals as the climate shifts, as well as enhance biodiversity, which, the report states, 'supports the clean water and soil fertility essential for human survival and environmental stability.'
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Donald Trump orders entry fee, DEI changes at national parks
Visiting America's national parks is about to get more expensive for international tourists, but that's not the only change ordered by President Donald Trump that will impact park visitors. A new executive order calls for charging non-U.S. residents higher fees for park entry and recreation passes, like the yearlong America the Beautiful pass, which grants access to public lands across federal agencies. "From the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to the tranquility of the Great Smoky Mountains, America's national parks have provided generations of American families with unforgettable memories," Trump said in the order issued July 3. "It is the policy of my Administration to preserve these opportunities for American families in future generations by increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents, and expanding opportunities to enjoy America's splendid national treasures," he said. The order also calls for giving Americans "preferential treatment with respect to any remaining recreational access rules, including permitting or lottery rules." Any revenue generated by higher fees from foreign tourists will be funneled back into infrastructure improvements and other enhancements across federal recreation sites. Reservations required: Which national parks require them in 2025 Unrelated, the executive order also revokes a presidential memorandum signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2017 that promoted a range of diversity and inclusion efforts in the management of national parks and other public lands. It called for improving access for all Americans and "considering recommendations and proposals from diverse populations to protect at-risk historic, cultural, and natural sites." Diversity and inclusion were also priorities for parks during the Biden administration. Before leaving office in January, then National Park Service Director Chuck Sams told USA TODAY: "When I took my oath of office on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Secretary (Deb) Haaland said, on behalf of the president of the United States, myself and the American people, I'm charging you with these monuments, memorials and parks, but more importantly, we're charging you to find those stories that are less told or haven't been told yet, and to tell them fiercely. "So over the last three-plus years, working all across the park system, we've been able to tell stories to ensure that every American sees a reflection of themselves in the parks," he said. But the latest move comes after Trump on his first day back in office in January ordered an end to government diversity, equity, and inclusion programs established under Biden. USA TODAY has reached out the Interior Department and National Park Service for comment on the new executive order.
