Latest news with #Rokala
USA Today
04-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump's national parks proposal: Cut $1 billion, transfer many sites to states
Trump's national parks proposal: Cut $1 billion, transfer many sites to states Show Caption Hide Caption What government layoffs at U.S. national parks mean for your next trip The National Parks Service reported 331.9 million visits in 2024, a record high. But the White House has slashed jobs, which could affect travelers. The new budget proposal from President Donald Trump would reduce the budget for the nation's national parks, monuments, historic sites, seashores and trails by nearly 25% and hand over many of those to the states. The proposal suggests cutting more than $1.2 billion from the $4.8 billion park service budget. It quickly sparked outrage from leaders of organizations devoted to national parks and recreation lands, who had already voiced concern about the staff cuts ordered by the Department of Governmental Efficiency and other plans raised by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. "It's nothing less than an all-out assault on America's national parks," said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonprofit advocacy group. 'This is the most extreme, unrealistic and destructive National Park Service budget a President has ever proposed in the agency's 109-year history." In total, the park service cuts are among more than $33 billion in proposed reductions in the budget proposal related to parks and public lands, environmental management, conservation and science-related programs and grants. The Center for Western Priorities called the budget "a bleak vision for America's parks and public lands." The park service has lost 2,400 to 2,500 employees, more than 10% of its staff, including probationary employees who were fired and others who accepted voluntary buyouts and early retirements, according to the Parks Conservation Association. The cuts have forced parks to cut hours, close visitor centers, suspend tours and limit camping reservations. "This administration is trying to dismantle the park service from the inside out," removing staff and attempting to give away hundreds of sites within the system, Pierno said. Budget cuts and bathrooms: An ongoing struggle at US national parks Giving away park sites Statements in the budget proposal prompted concern about the loss of park sites. Many of the 433 sites within the park service aren't "national parks" in the traditionally understood sense, "receive small numbers of mostly local visitors, and are better categorized and managed as (s)tate-level parks," the proposal said. It added there's an "urgent need to streamline staffing and transfer certain properties to state-level management to ensure the long-term health and sustainment of the National Park system." If the White House proposal is approved, Americans would "lose access to millions of acres of their public lands," said Rokala, of the Center for Western Priorities. "Handing over national park sites to states is a non-starter," Rokala said. "States can't afford to manage them, so the inevitable outcome is the closure, then privatization of our most treasured public lands." While it's true that only 63 of the properties are formally designated as "national parks" but all the units have park service designations. Dozens are labeled national monuments and the list includes several sprawling monuments in the Southwest that protect thousands of ancient archaeological sites. The list includes scenic shorelines such as Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan and Canaveral National Seashore, the 24 miles of untouched dunes and beach in Central Florida preserved when the Kennedy Space Center was created at Cape Canaveral. In total, the 433 units are the nation's "greatest legacy," Pierno said. "Any effort to hand many of these sites over to the states is a betrayal, and the American people won't stand for it." Proposed budget cuts The budget proposes to cut: $900 million from park service operations $158 million from historic preservation $77 million to reservation and preservation funding $73 million from national park construction, the parks organizations said. The proposal suggested the park service's Historic Preservation Fund is duplicative, and often funds projects of "local, rather than national, significance." The budget accused the Biden administration of "wasting federal funding" on construction projects at sites that would be more appropriately managed at the local level. It also stated the reduction would complement the administration's agenda of "federalism and transferring smaller, lesser visited parks to State and tribal governments." The budget stated many projects that receive national recreation and preservation grants are "not directly tied to maintaining national parks or public lands, which have a large backlog of maintenance and are more important to address than community recreation initiatives." The park service does not yet have a confirmed director after the departure of Chuck Sams, who served during the Biden administration. The park service went without a confirmed director during Trump's entire first term. How many national park sites are there? Of the 433 units in the system, the largest is the 13.2-million-acre Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in eastern Alaska. The smallest is the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial in Philadelphia, the 0.02-acre former home of a Polish freedom fighter and engineer who designed fortifications during the American Revolution. Here's a breakdown of the national sites. National monuments 87 National historic sites 76 National historical parks 63 National parks 63 National memorials 31 National preserves 19 National recreation areas 18 National battlefields 11 Other designations (includes the White House and National Mall) 11 National wild and scenic rivers 10 National seashores 10 National military parks 9 National scenic trails 6 National battlefield parks 4 National parkways 4 National rivers 4 National lakeshores 3 National reserves 2 National battlefield historic sites 1 International historic sites 1 National parks ranked by visitors: Here's the top 15 Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, weather, the environment and other news. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Interior secretary orders national parks to be open and accessible as workforce is cut
Under criticism for staff cuts across the country, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is directing national parks to 'remain open and accessible' and says officials will ensure proper staffing to do so. The order, issued late Thursday, also calls for a detailed review of each park's operating hours, trail closures and other limits on visitor services. Burgum said in the order that his department and the National Park Service 'are committed to ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to visit and enjoy our Nation's most treasured places.' But park advocates and others criticized the move and questioned how park employees could comply, given the Trump administration's workforce reductions through voluntary separation offers, layoffs and an earlier hiring freeze. Fewer workers can mean shorter hours, delays, closed campgrounds, overflowing trash bins, unkept bathrooms, and risks to public safety, they say. The park service has lost somewhere near 1,500 permanent employees since the beginning of this year, Rick Mossman, president of the Arizona-based Association of National Park Rangers, said Friday in a statement. And it's "bracing for another reduction in force expected in the very near future.' The administration initially restored about 50 national park positions and hired some seasonal workers following an uproar over an aggressive plan to downsize the agency. More workers were offered their jobs back last month after a judge's order, but some decided to leave federal employment or were immediately placed on administrative leave. Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, praised the order and said it will ensure parks fulfill their mission. 'As we head into the summer months, millions of Americans and visitors from around the world will be enjoying our beautiful national parks,' he said in a statement. But Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities, said mandating parks to remain operational without needed personnel and resources is an impossible task. 'This secretarial order is a hollow and cynical attempt to save face amid the outrage from the public about the harm the Trump administration is inflicting to not only national parks, but the communities across the country that depend on them for economic survival,' Rokala said in a statement. Burgum's order says assistant secretaries will review the operating hours for each park and a full report must be sent to him within 15 days. Rokala said that plan would remove park superintendents and the public from any future decisions regarding park management. 'If past is prologue, the public will be left completely in the dark about all the decisions," Rokala said. The order noted that national parks welcomed more than 331 million visitors last year. The sites were run by more than 20,000 employees and 300,000 volunteers, he said. ___ Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report from Washington.
The Independent
04-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Interior secretary orders national parks to be open and accessible as workforce is cut
Under criticism for staff cuts across the country, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is directing national parks to 'remain open and accessible' and says officials will ensure proper staffing to do so. The order, issued late Thursday, also calls for a detailed review of each park's operating hours, trail closures and other limits on visitor services. Burgum said in the order that his department and the National Park Service 'are committed to ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to visit and enjoy our Nation's most treasured places.' But park advocates and others criticized the move and questioned how park employees could comply, given the Trump administration's workforce reductions through voluntary separation offers, layoffs and an earlier hiring freeze. Fewer workers can mean shorter hours, delays, closed campgrounds, overflowing trash bins, unkept bathrooms, and risks to public safety, they say. The park service has lost somewhere near 1,500 permanent employees since the beginning of this year, Rick Mossman, president of the Arizona-based Association of National Park Rangers, said Friday in a statement. And it's "bracing for another reduction in force expected in the very near future.' The administration initially restored about 50 national park positions and hired some seasonal workers following an uproar over an aggressive plan to downsize the agency. More workers were offered their jobs back last month after a judge's order, but some decided to leave federal employment or were immediately placed on administrative leave. Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, praised the order and said it will ensure parks fulfill their mission. 'As we head into the summer months, millions of Americans and visitors from around the world will be enjoying our beautiful national parks,' he said in a statement. But Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities, said mandating parks to remain operational without needed personnel and resources is an impossible task. 'This secretarial order is a hollow and cynical attempt to save face amid the outrage from the public about the harm the Trump administration is inflicting to not only national parks, but the communities across the country that depend on them for economic survival,' Rokala said in a statement. Burgum's order says assistant secretaries will review the operating hours for each park and a full report must be sent to him within 15 days. Rokala said that plan would remove park superintendents and the public from any future decisions regarding park management. 'If past is prologue, the public will be left completely in the dark about all the decisions," Rokala said. The order noted that national parks welcomed more than 331 million visitors last year. The sites were run by more than 20,000 employees and 300,000 volunteers, he said. ___
Associated Press
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Interior secretary orders national parks to be open and accessible as workforce is cut
Under criticism for staff cuts across the country, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is directing national parks to 'remain open and accessible' and says officials will ensure proper staffing to do so. The order, issued late Thursday, also calls for a detailed review of each park's operating hours, trail closures and other limits on visitor services. Burgum said in the order that his department and the National Park Service 'are committed to ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to visit and enjoy our Nation's most treasured places.' But park advocates and others criticized the move and questioned how park employees could comply, given the Trump administration's workforce reductions through voluntary separation offers, layoffs and an earlier hiring freeze. Fewer workers can mean shorter hours, delays, closed campgrounds, overflowing trash bins, unkept bathrooms, and risks to public safety, they say. The park service has lost somewhere near 1,500 permanent employees since the beginning of this year, Rick Mossman, president of the Arizona-based Association of National Park Rangers, said Friday in a statement. And it's 'bracing for another reduction in force expected in the very near future.' The administration initially restored about 50 national park positions and hired some seasonal workers following an uproar over an aggressive plan to downsize the agency. More workers were offered their jobs back last month after a judge's order, but some decided to leave federal employment or were immediately placed on administrative leave. Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, praised the order and said it will ensure parks fulfill their mission. 'As we head into the summer months, millions of Americans and visitors from around the world will be enjoying our beautiful national parks,' he said in a statement. But Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities, said mandating parks to remain operational without needed personnel and resources is an impossible task. 'This secretarial order is a hollow and cynical attempt to save face amid the outrage from the public about the harm the Trump administration is inflicting to not only national parks, but the communities across the country that depend on them for economic survival,' Rokala said in a statement. Burgum's order says assistant secretaries will review the operating hours for each park and a full report must be sent to him within 15 days. Rokala said that plan would remove park superintendents and the public from any future decisions regarding park management. 'If past is prologue, the public will be left completely in the dark about all the decisions,' Rokala said. The order noted that national parks welcomed more than 331 million visitors last year. The sites were run by more than 20,000 employees and 300,000 volunteers, he said. ___
