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3mo ago

Trump Order Raises Fees for Foreign Park Visitors and Shelves DEI Policy

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will set fee levels for foreign visitors under a plan to fund park upkeep that also reverses longstanding diversity guidance.

People walk through a parking lot at Muir Woods in Mill Valley. Visiting California’s national parks — including Yosemite, Muir Woods and Lassen Volcanic — is about to get more expensive for international tourists, following a sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week.
Protesters at Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County on March 1, 2025. Demonstrations were planned on all 433 National Park sites to protest the Trump administration’s sweeping federal layoffs.
Visitors board buses in Yosemite National Park on May 20, 2025. Visiting California’s national parks — including Yosemite, Muir Woods and Lassen Volcanic — is about to get more expensive for international tourists, following a sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week.
Visitors in a Valley Floor Tours tram make their way past Tunnel View taking in the scenery in Yosemite National Park on May 20, 2025. Visiting California’s national parks — including Yosemite, Muir Woods and Lassen Volcanic — is about to get more expensive for international tourists, following a sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week.

Overview

  • The July 3 executive order directs Burgum to develop a fee-increase strategy for non-U.S. residents expected to generate about $90 million for maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.
  • It rescinds the 2017 memorandum on diversity, equity and inclusion that guided workforce diversification and access initiatives across public lands.
  • The National Park Service is instructed to guarantee U.S. residents priority access in permit and reservation systems at popular sites.
  • Implementation timelines and specific pricing for the new fees remain undefined, leaving uncertainty over when changes will take effect.
  • A proposed 30 percent cut to National Park Service staffing and operations has drawn criticism from conservation groups warning it could undermine park services.