Senate Bill Slashes Critical Park Staff as Summer Crowds Surge Nationwide

Despite the outcry of the National Parks Conservation Association, park advocates and recreational businesses alike, the Senate’s version of a highly contested reconciliation bill advanced today, including many anti-national park provisions. While the language greenlighting the sell-off of roughly 1.23 million acres of public lands was removed, the bill rescinds previously committed funding for national park staffing in their moment of greatest need, to the tune of $267 million. In addition, the Senate’s version of the reconciliation bill mandates more leasing and drilling on public lands near places like Dinosaur National Monument – seen by many as a handout to the oil and gas industry, without any guardrails for impacts to recreation access or environmental damages.

At a time of record-breaking park visitation – with 332 million visitors in 2024 alone – and unprecedented staffing shortages, national parks have reached a breaking point. In fact, recent actions by the current administration have resulted in a whopping 16% cut to personnel across the country. The decline exemplifies the critical need for the Inflation Reduction Act funding dedicated to staffing, which the Senate has chosen to claw back.

The bill not only threatens national parks’ cultural and historic resources – it harms local economies and recreational businesses. The National Park Service represents one-fifteenth of one percent of the federal budget. And despite Congress’ actions to continuously undercut them, studies have found time and again that every dollar invested in national parks returns up to $15 in nearby communities and supports made-in-America jobs.

Now, the bill moves back to the House for another vote.

Statement by Daniel Hart, Director of Clean Energy and Climate Policy for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):

“Today the Senate voted for a bill that threatens America’s most treasured places and the dedicated public servants who protect them. At the height of their busy season, this bill strips away critical dollars that keep parks open and safe for the public.

“For over a century, rangers, scientists and cultural stewards have dedicated their lives to creating unforgettable park experiences for millions of visitors every year. This bill is an affront to park lovers near and far, and could destabilize the places people go to hike, fish and connect with America’s historic and cultural resources.

“Congress is failing to do its job yet again. At a time when our national parks are facing record visitation and historic staffing shortages, lawmakers are making a choice to cut funding. Their continued failure to champion national parks puts irreplaceable landscapes, historic treasures and visitor safety at risk. Our parks deserve leaders, not lawmakers willing to turn a blind eye.”