House Rejects Deep Funding Cuts to National Parks Amid Staffing Crisis and Busy Summer Season

Washington, DC – Today, the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released its Fiscal Year 2027 bill. After months of warning from the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and park advocates across the country that national parks are in dire need of support, the House rejected dramatic cuts proposed by the Trump administration. Instead, it maintained funding for the operation of national parks at $2.9 billion. This represents a 1.3% overall reduction to the National Park Service budget, including a $41 million cut to historic preservation.

While NPCA commends the House for rejecting the most extreme of President Trump’s proposed budget cuts, our national parks still face a deepening crisis. Additional cuts to historic preservation combined with burdensome provisions in this bill would make it even harder for the Park Service to fulfill its mission. The House bill would zero out funding that supports Tribes and states in community-driven efforts to preserve cultural resources. Parks are already strained by staffing cuts, hiring barriers and senseless attacks on science and history that are undermining the agency’s ability to protect and interpret America’s most cherished lands and heritage. We look forward to closely reviewing the full details of the bill once the explanatory statement is released in two weeks to evaluate its potential impact on our national parks and public lands.

Since January 2025, the National Park Service has lost nearly 25% of its permanent workforce — more than 4,000 positions — driven primarily by mass terminations, early retirements and deferred resignations, as well as a damaging and unnecessary reorganization. Visitor centers are reducing hours, trails and facilities are falling into disrepair, and the long-term protection of irreplaceable natural and cultural resources is at risk. Although the Park Service was recently approved to refill about 600 staff positions, that’s only a fraction of the thousands lost last year. And questions remain about which roles can be filled and whether hiring can realistically keep pace after deep cuts to human resources staff needed to carry out the process.

Last year, members of Congress from both parties came together to pass a bipartisan budget that preserved funding for the operation of national parks and supported park staff. But for too long, Congress has relied on flat funding to keep the Park Service afloat, even as parks face rising visitation, growing maintenance needs and significant staff shortages. Our parks have been underfunded and understaffed for too long. We need members of Congress to come together and do more by providing the funding, staffing and resources our national parks need and deserve.

Park provisions included in the bill:

• $2.9 billion for the Operation of the National Park System, essentially flat funding (a $3 million cut)
• $41 million (20%) cut to historic preservation, including State and Tribal Historic Preservation offices that support community-driven efforts.
• $1.8 billion (20%) cut to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would undercut essential science, cutting programs protecting clean air, water and restoring our park landscapes.
• Policy provisions that weaken protections for our national parks and public lands, including stripping endangered species protections for grizzly bears, grey wolves, wolverines and other species, and undermining protections for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, the watershed for Voyageurs National Park.

Below is a statement from John Garder, Senior Director of Budget and Appropriations for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):

“NPCA commends the House of Representatives for rejecting the most egregious of the administration’s proposed budget cuts, which would have seriously undermined the Park Service’s ability to protect the places and stories that Americans love so much.

“The Park Service has already lost thousands of staff, resulting in reduced protection of irreplaceable resources, shortened visitor center hours, closures of trail and campground and scaled-back programs. Any further cuts would put visitor safety, park experiences and irreplaceable landscapes and historic treasures at even greater risk.

“National parks protect our history, culture and legacy, and power local economies across the country. But they have been forced to do more with less for far too long, and recent attacks on the workforce have pushed them into a hole that could take decades to climb out of. Our parks cannot and should not be shortchanged any longer.

“Just last year, members of Congress came together to pass a budget that supported our parks and their staff. They must do it again. Our parks and the people who protect and keep them running deserve more investment, more protection and greater commitment to their future.”

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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.