Nearly 200 years ago, scenery artist George Catlin began to worry that the rapidly expanding industrialization would encroach on the land he frequently painted. So, he advocated that the government should preserve it, that a park should be created where both man and “beast” can enjoy nature.
Roughly 30 years later, Congress created the first state park, Yosemite Valley, in California. Within the next few decades, several more states became home to national and state parks. Today, America protects 63 national parks and over 6,000 state parks.
The National Parks Service has the most positive perception over all federal agencies with 76% of Americans deeming it favorable. They spend less than most agencies, increase employment and income within their communities and preserve the environment.
Yet the Trump administration, at the behest of Elon Musk’s department DOGE, fired 1000 National Park employees and 3000 U.S. Forest Service workers.
The National Parks Service is housed within the Department of the Interior, which in total only makes up 0.7% of the federal government’s overall spending. Of that, the National Parks Service has a budget of $3 billion, making up around 4% of the Department of the Interior.
The National Parks Service is one of the least costly agencies within an already small department. DOGE attacking it serves as a red herring, a way for Musk to appear productive while ignoring the agencies that actually contribute to government bloat.
While Musk may be the world’s richest man, his companies Tesla and SpaceX have received $38 billion in subsidies from the federal government. They received $7 billion in 2024, more than double what the National Parks Service was allotted.
Even though their budget is small, these cuts will have extensive impacts on not only employees and visitors but also the general economy.
In 2022, there were 1.18 billion visits to state and national parks that generated $29.2 billion in park revenue alone.
Tourism around National Parks added $26.4 billion to the local areas, supporting 415,000 jobs. The local economies near national parks, on average, see their employment increase by 4% and their income increase by 6% after the area is designated.
The lack of staffing has already led to parks limiting hours and closing off areas like hiking trails and campgrounds but it is expected to get much worse.
The cuts have affected personnel like biologists conducting tests on the air and water quality, emergency medical technicians and keyholders who manage access to the park’s entrance and gun safes.
Not only will access to the parks become more limited, but it will also become more dangerous.
The cuts made to the national parks will ripple throughout their communities. The restaurants, shops and hotels that would usually accommodate visitors to the parks will see fewer customers as safety concerns grow and park hours lessen.
The world’s richest man cutting our most beloved agency under the guise of “efficiency” is one of the least American decisions DOGE has made yet.
