NPCA submitted the following position to members of the Senate Committee on Enviroment and Public Works and Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ahead of expected committee votes the week of July 13, 2026.
Since 1919, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice of the American people in protecting and enhancing our National Park System, which includes their surrounding landscapes, historical resources, watersheds and more. On behalf of our 1.9 million members and supporters nationwide, we write to urge you to vote no on the nomination of Kevin Lilly to be Department of the Interior (DOI) Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
Since January 2025, we have seen the administration systematically undermine our National Park System. They have proposed draconian budget cuts that, if enacted, would result in the closure of hundreds of national parks and implemented policies that have led to an over 24% reduction of staff across the system. The administration cancelled timed-entry systems at some of our country’s busiest parks, changed park hunting regulations without public notice or comment, and sacrificed behind-the-scenes science for a façade of visitor services. They have pushed forward with vanity projects in Washington, DC, and mining projects within national parks and park landscapes. Ongoing efforts to rewrite Endangered Species Act regulations and review the management of wilderness are being done with an eye towards weakening park protections. And just this week, the president slashed protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, an assault not only on our monuments, but on the very foundation of our National Park System.
When Kevin Lilly joined the administration in July 2025, he had the opportunity to help guide the department towards policies that enhance our national parks. Instead, we have continued to see decisions that chip away at the ability of the National Park Service to protect these treasured places for future generations. In Mr. Lilly’s appearances before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and Committee on Environment and Public Works, his responses to senators’ questions did not assuage our concerns about his role in the administration’s decisions.
Mr. Lilly provided troubling answers on Endangered Species Act protections for grizzly bears, the devastating impacts of staffing cuts and the prioritization of access over resource protection. He dismissed the effectiveness of reservation and timed entry systems and seemed unconcerned about delays in grant reviews. While he emphasized his appreciation of public lands, the professional background he outlined does not demonstrate any experience in their management. Collectively, these responses show that Mr. Lilly is not only involved in the administration’s damaging decisions, he is actively a part of them.
If confirmed to this role, Mr. Lilly would hold the future of the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in his hands. That is not a responsibility to be taken lightly, and we urge senators to vote no on this nomination. We do not believe the nominee has the expertise and vision to guide our public lands toward a brighter future.
