Veteran leaders of the National Park Service (NPS) have joined forces to voice their anger at the cuts to services and staff under the Trump administration.
The former directors and deputy directors signed a letter to Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, to slam concerns about an edict that called on national parks leaders to prioritize work that delivered "the greatest benefit to the greatest number of visitors" and scale back or defer other services.
The letter, organized by the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks and the Association of National Park Rangers and sent on May 8, was signed by five former NPS directors and eight former deputy directors in response to a Secretarial Order issued by the Department of the Interior.
They say the order directs park managers to neglect their park protection responsibilities in favor of providing visitor services. Not only do the former directors believe the directives contradict the law and the intent of Congress, they also fear they will put NPS leaders in a hugely challenging position when it comes to protecting the entire National Park System.
The letter later goes on to state, in light of deteriorating budgets and conditions, that "National Park Service employees, who should be on hand to help serve and protect millions of visitors, are under attack".
What did the Secretarial Order say?
Burgum's Secretarial Order, distributed on April 3, says it is "intended to ensure that all national parks and national historic sites... remain open and accessible for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people and to ensure that the National Park Service (NPS) will provide the best customer service experience for all visitors".
A subsequent implementation memo from the Acting NPS Director on April 7 stated that: "Park managers should prioritize activities that deliver the greatest benefit to the greatest number of visitors. When making operational decisions, managers should evaluate ongoing activities to ensure they are focusing on core visitor services, statutory mandates, and Executive and Secretarial Orders. Work that does not directly contribute to these priorities should be adjusted, scaled back, or deferred as appropriate, and staff that do not directly support these priorities may be redirected to higher priority needs."
What concerns do the NPS have?
The letter, sent to the Department of the Interior, said the ability of the NPS to leave national parks in a fit state for future generations would be under threat if park managers were solely focussed on visitor services.
The coalition of former directors and deputies also said the Secretarial Order contradicted the key directives of the Organic Act of the National Park Service of August 25, 1916, as well as the clarifying 1970 General Authorities Act and the subsequent 1978 Redwood amendment.
They fear NPS employees will no longer be able to effectively manage the national parks. Furthermore, their stewardship, through no fault of their own, will no longer be in accordance with the law, should the directives be followed.
National parks are busier than ever
The letter points out that the NPS is consistently voted as America's favorite government agency and that the popularity of the nation's national parks is growing year on year. Last year was the busiest on record, with a reported 331.9 million visits, up 6.36 million in 2023.
While the letter agrees that elimination of waste has a place, it goes on to say that the NPS has been grappling with management efficiency for decades, budgets haven't kept pace with inflation and that thousands of jobs have been eliminated. In essence, the service is down to the bare bones.
In a final plea, the letter highlights the negative impact that crippling the national parks and other public lands will have on the local economies that rely on visitor spending. It claims that every dollar that's assigned to the NPS generates 15 times as much for the national economy. This is added to the fact that the NPS budget is less than 0.5 percent of the total federal budget.
The letter ends by saying: "We ask that you join the millions of Americans who support the National Park Service and the parks and public lands under your jurisdiction to ensure that these special places are protected and conserved for future generations."
"A dire situation"
Emily Thompson, Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, was scathing in her assessment of situation.
In a press release issued on May 8, following the Secretarial Order, she said: "Our national parks are facing a dire situation. Even before the Trump administration’s cuts, national parks were understaffed and having to do more with less. But recent actions have made a bad situation worse.
"Safety at parks could be compromised and visitors this summer should prepare for longer lines, reduced hours of operation at facilities, trails that are not maintained, limited access to some park amenities, and far fewer park rangers to help ensure they have a safe and memorable visit to their national parks. We urge the administration to reverse course and protect our national parks and visitors to them."
