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Trump Order Targets 106 Parks With Foreign Visitor Surcharges as Fee Rates Remain Unset

Implementation details for the foreign visitor surcharges remain under development despite aiming to generate about $90 million a year for park upkeep.

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Overview

  • President Trump’s July 3 executive order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to raise entrance and recreation pass fees for nonresidents at existing fee-charging national park sites.
  • High-profile destinations including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Grand Canyon and Lake Mead are among the 106 units set to impose new surcharges on foreign visitors.
  • The Department of the Interior’s FY2026 budget proposal projects roughly $90 million in annual surcharge revenue under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.
  • Simultaneously, the administration has proposed cutting National Park Service staffing and service budgets by 30% and requesting $2 billion for park operations.
  • The order also rescinds a 2017 diversity, equity and inclusion memorandum and establishes the Make America Beautiful Again Commission to oversee park infrastructure and conservation improvements.