Trump administration redirects national park funds to Washington projects, sparking staffing crisis

The Trump administration has reshaped the National Park Service budget, cutting staff at roughly one-fifth of the sites and moving $67 million in visitor-fee revenue to Washington, D.C. projects, including gold-leafed statues and repairs to the Reflecting Pool. This reallocation has pushed hundreds of essential repairs and upgrades at over 200 parks into a low-priority list, threatening their completion. A controversial plan to exchange a parcel of Yosemite land with a private developer has prompted a coalition of 153 lawmakers to vow to block the deal.

Former Yellowstone superintendent Dan Wenk warned that rebuilding the workforce will be extremely difficult for any future administration. Former Park Service head Fran P. Mainella criticized the lack of understanding of parks' public and economic value, while White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers declined to confirm whether Trump has visited a national park.