Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park Credit: NPS
July 16, 2025 - On Tuesday, a key House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee marked-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 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 Tuesday’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.”
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks represents over 3,400 current, former, and retired employees and volunteers of the National Park Service, with over 50,000 collective years of stewardship of America’s most precious natural and cultural resources. Recognized as the Voices of Experience, the Coalition educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation and protection of the National Park System, and mission-related programs of the National Park Service. More information can be found at https://protectnps.org
Source: Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks
