House Appropriations Bill Would Decimate National Parks And Deepen An Existing Crisis That Is Already Impacting Visitors And Parks Safety
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Contact: Doug Gordon | do**@***************es.com
Today, a key House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee will mark-up the Fiscal Year 2026 bill for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, which would impose further disastrous cuts to the National Park Service, escalating the administration’s attacks on the department.
The bill, being considered today by the subcommittee, would slash $176 million—more than 6%—from the Park Service’s operations budget at a time when parks are already reeling from actions by the administration.
Since taking office, the administration has gutted staff, with the National Park Service losing 24% of its permanent staff and freezing future hiring. The agency is being pushed to a crisis point in which it cannot safely manage and maintain one of our nation’s most precious assets.
In advance of today’s mark-up, Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, issued the following statement:
“The House of Representatives must reverse course and reject these devastating cuts. Between RIFs and the actions of DOGE, the safety and visitor experience at our national parks is already deteriorating, and this proposed budget would escalate that crisis.
“Not only do the national parks enrich Americans’ lives, connecting us all to nature and the most special places in our country, but they are also a crucial economic asset. Hundreds of millions of people visit our national parks each year, an invaluable source of income for gateway communities across the country. Congress should be working to protect this vital cultural and financial resource with full staffing and full funding. This bill would do the exact opposite. Members of Congress should reject this bill that would decimate parks.”
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The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization made up of over 4,100 members, all of whom are current, former, and retired employees or volunteers of the National Park Service (NPS). Together, they have accumulated over 50,000 years of experience caring for America’s most valuable natural and cultural resources. Our members include former NPS directors, deputy and regional directors, superintendents, park rangers (both law enforcement and interpretive), maintenance and administrative professionals, and many other dedicated career professionals.