Overview
- The Trump administration's proposed 2026 budget includes a $1.2 billion reduction to the National Park Service, the largest budget cut in the agency's history.
- The Department of the Interior is preparing to lay off 1,500 additional NPS staff, following earlier rounds of layoffs and buyouts affecting 1,700 employees.
- Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is targeting $26 million in grant eliminations, including programs focused on climate research and diversity initiatives.
- The administration has suspended air quality monitoring in national parks and closed the NPS Academy, which aimed to diversify the park service workforce.
- Critics warn these cuts could reduce park services by 75%, jeopardizing conservation efforts, visitor safety, and the $55 billion economic impact of national parks.