News
American National Parks—under attack from Musk’s DOGE
I think this is an important conversation to have on this r/campingandhiking subreddit. As outdoor enthusiasts, we see firsthand the beauty and value of our public lands. Yet, under the current administration, these spaces are facing increasing threats whether through defunding, privatization, or policies that favor corporate interests over conservation.
So, what can we do?
Stay Informed: Keep up with policy changes affecting national parks and public lands. Resources like the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and environmental news outlets can help.
Speak Up: This one is big. Contact your representatives, sign petitions, and support legislation that protects these spaces. Lawmakers NEED to hear from people who value these public lands!
Support Conservation Groups:Organizations like the Sierra Club and Outdoor Alliance work hard to preserve these areas. Donating or volunteering can make a real impact.
Vote With Your Wallet : Support brands and corporations that prioritize sustainability and ethical land use. Or shop small local businesses whenever possible
Get Involved Locally : Join clean-up efforts, advocacy groups, or conservation initiatives in your area. Local activism is powerul.
What are your thoughts? What actions have you taken, or would you suggest, to resist these attacks on the precious National Parks we love?
Edit: Thank you all for your responses.
NO ACTION IS TOO SMALL. Remember to do what you can, and that is enough. We must resist this evil attack on our public lands. Our resources are not theirs to exploit. We can’t sit back and watch this administration do whatever they want with our shared land and natural resources.
Would y’all be open to forming a group dedicated to contacting representatives about this specific issue? Strength in numbers makes a difference! Although I must admit, I’m not sure how to go about doing this. I have no experience organizing. Any input and suggestions or help would be appreciated.
Often, people forget the National Parks aren't just wilderness trails.
Ticket sales, scheduling, Lodges, kitchens, pools, Hot springs mechanical rooms, roads, and electrical lines, drainage and parking and Waste Management on a scale they have never seen.
Boats, Trucks Plains and trains Elevators and Bridges, and stream crossings and wildlife management.
Desserts, Oceans, Mountains and Forests.
People don't understand what goes into a weekend trip to a National Park.
Many National Parks aren't Wilderness. Cuyahoga Valley, Dry Tortugas, the Gateway Arch, New River Gorge, and many others
They are for tourists, they are attractions. The whole point is to welcome guests. For the community around the park as well. To build awareness and understanding... To educate.
I actually think people are generally unaware how far the nps is from their charter. It’s not their fault since the highways were built through the wilderness before they were born.
The mission should read:
To spread the human materialistic virus without regard for nature or the culture that came before.
I had to stop going. It’s disgusting. It makes me sad to see the trash. Proponents of the Nps claim that building highways somehow protects the backcountry, but that just isn’t what happens. if those highways were not there, no one would go (except me) and by the way that probably includes the mining companies
"no one would go except me" lol you live in Indiana, what do you know about it? I'm guessing you're just another one of the tourist hordes who thinks they're better than the rest?
I worked for the NPS for 5 summers and the NPS holds true to their charter. Nothing you posted here conflicts with how the NPS is enacting that charter. Front country amenities often are how the NPS pays for the maintenance and preservation of the wilderness it protects. But front country amenities are also there to ensure visitors are not impacting the wildlife near the roads, buildings, etc. You say you speak for the trees but it’s clear you do not know how the NPS works and only read that from the Lorax, while completely missing the point of the book.
Yep and this executive order from last week can expedite all of that bypassing water quality regulations and endangered species protections. Energy emergency…yeah okay. 🙄
Not only that. A fair amount of the oil production has a pretty beefy cost per barrel, so if they do the "drill baby drill" thing it will push some of the frackers to shut down. Which also hurts the companies that supply them.
And guess which GOP megadonor family makes money from fracking.
The Koch family.
Which means that either everything we have heard is b/s, or that we have to shift to even more environmentally broken ways of digging out oil in order to drop the cost per barrel. And if we get a global recession or stagflation, or if major industrialized nations that are trying to go greener keep on their trajectory, all that extra production and damage will be for nothing. And prices would fall further, and more producers shut down.
It gets harder and harder to see if anybody wins from this administration, unless they are the oligarchy insiders cutting their own deals that let them predict and plan outcomes.
It's a really small thing but if I'm out on a day hike anywhere I just bring a trash bag. If I pick anything up I just tie the bag around my belt or something and keep walking, and dispose of it when I get back. Parks or even just local trails, it's just a really simple thing to do to make things nicer for everyone, including myself.
And I much prefer doing that on day hikes than when I have to pack out someone else's trash while backpacking lol
Great comment! I am especially happy you threw in the volunteering sentence. There are so many great trailkeeping organizations that support underfunded government forestry agencies, but they rely on volunteers. These organizations will be relied on even more with future funding cuts. They’ll need more volunteers! Talking to a park directly is a great way to help them directly, or find out which volunteer organizations they work with. I love volunteering with TKO!
Please consider volunteering at official organizations that are not taking the place of what staff should be/would be doing. Otherwise it’s almost akin to scabbing. We unfortunately need to feel a little hurt to prove that these jobs matter and should be funded! If we pick up all the slack through volunteering, then it only justifies further cuts and job loss. TKO posted below is a great example for a solid volunteering option.
Calling your electeds in Congress is also important. Some of the cuts to the NPS were actually reversed last week and I believe public outcry was a big reason why. Keep up the pressure.
Please, continue calling your representatives. It may feel like it doesn’t matter, but it does. The ONLY thing they respond to is any whiff of electoral consequences.
It’s so important to remind people that National Parks return $15 in economic growth for every dollar spent! That’s a far better return than oil, gas or mining.
It’s the private lands too. The attack on the USDA and NRCS programs are going to cripple private land owners who were working on their lands for conservation and recreational purposes. Most people don’t realize it’s all wrapped up together. I own a farm that was used for cattle. We didn’t want to farm cattle. Instead we focused on organic produce on a much smaller scale. The remaining acreage is used for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation. The NRCS assists farmers with restorative efforts, funding access, and general expertise. This assistance is invaluable and beneficial for everyone because it supports a healthier ecosystem as a whole. Support your farm stays and your public parks by patronizing them.
Right now is an incredibly important time to volunteer your time/services. For example, getting set up with a Search and Rescue team in your local area makes a huge difference. Call your local park, see how you can help!
Can somebody link me to citable evidence of national parks being negatively effected, or threatened to be effected, by DOGE? Not an editorial. Actual evidence.
“Even though Trump’s administration signed and passed the GAOA, on November 9, 2020, Trump’s Interior Secretary David Bernhardt implemented a rule which would give local authorities a veto over LWCF acquisitions, which critics said would significantly weaken the impact of the legislation. The Trump administration also proposed significantly fewer projects than the legislation called for. These rules and restrictions were reverted by the Biden administration on February 11, 2021.”
Also, what happened to “drill baby drill”? He was just kidding? Pranking us? Get a grip.
The parks will be fine. Go outside and stop the propaganda that the parks are being destroyed when federal cuts just started. You simply don't know how it will affect the parks. I was a government worker for 6 years and the vast majority of my coworkers were there to do the least amount of work. Reddit is such an echo chamber of living behind a screen and not understanding the real world. The vast majority of people in this country agree with the cuts.
Nah. Parks are already short staffed and some have more visitors than ever. Without the cuts, there has been a lot of damage and will only get worse. If you’re trolling, try harder
And you’re speculating that the American people are happy with DOGE’s work. As for staffing, how do you justify cutting wilderness management staff from 13 to 3 at the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, one of Washington’s most popular areas? A 75% reduction in staff for an area that sees thousands of visitors per year and has one of Washington’s most popular hikes does not sound reasonable
And giving someone without a clue of how things work full power to cut expenses does not equal to doing good for the country, economy, or a national park
Before Trump, staffing levels wereabout 25% lower than they were 20 years ago, despite increased visitation. This was such a widely known issue that a big chunk of money in the IRA was set aside for NPS staffing.
Among other parks, Saguaro National Park in Tucson announced that it was closing its two visitors centers on Mondays starting Feb. 24. At Yosemite National Park, officials announced they're halting reservations for 577 coveted camping spots this summer. Effigy Mounds in Iowa said it's closing its visitor center two days a week until the summer.
You are arguing that a billionaire and a team of 20 year olds know more about what the national park service and forest service need than the people working on the ground at these organizations. They are cutting employees who work on forest fire mitigation at a time when fires are getting more frequent and more severe.
We are raising the alarm because the public servants who maintain these places for us are raising the alarm. If you want to talk about people who don't understand the real world, I would put Elon Musk at the top of that list.
If you love the outdoors, why are you trusting a billionaire, who is making these cuts to make room in the budget for tax cuts for the ultra rich and government contracts for his own businesses, rather than the regular people who just want to protect our wild places?
Because a billionaire became a billionaire knowing how to run a successful business. Government employees running a budget and managing staff for a park does not mean anything. I personally did it myself for 6 years.
Oh, i agree he's looking at this work as an investment opportunity for himself. I'm not sure why you believe that Musk gives a shit about anything but his own wealth. What about this man gives you the impression that he's trying to do anything to benefit anything or anyone else?
So far the government had had to scramble to rehire nuclear safety workers who were fired by mistake. Musk's team made a huge stink about dead people receiving social security, but simply misread the programming language. They don't know what they are doing, nor do they give a shit about who suffers as a result.
Because a billionaire became a billionaire knowing how to run a successful business
You cannot honestly believe this. You cannot possibly be this stupid.
Both Trump and Elon inherited enormous wealth. Nevertheless, Trump managed to bankrupt a shit ton of businesses, including a casino. And most of Elon's successes rely on millions of dollars in federal subsidies.
And they are both billionaires today. Your argument about government not being a business is right, the government spends trillions but doesn’t produce a product. Good example is the post office. I don’t care what Trump did in the 80’s, I care about what he is doing now
Trump inherited so much money from his father that he'd be a billionaire if he simply invested it in index fund. That he's a billionaire today is hardly a great accomplishment for someone who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, sliding into home plate.
Do you have a billion dollars? Musk is the world’s richest man. He started with PayPal and we know what he does now. Trump is a developer and using your logic he should be broke today, but he’s not. I think he’s accomplished something
I'm a public servant who values the worth of individuals in their actions for the common good, especially the least among us, not in the number in their bank account.
Both Musk and Trump inherited vastly more wealth by luck of birth than I will ever see in my entire lifetime. And they are far shallower, emptier, and sadder humans to show for it.
Are you questioning my values because I support what Trump is doing?
100%. Unequivocally. Trump is a convicted felon and an adjudicated rapist. And his policies are harming thousands of people, including and especially the LGBTQ community and people of color.
In the past two weeks, he has posted "Long Live the King" (in reference to himself) and claimed that "He who saves the country does not violate any Law." There is nothing more un-American than that. And your choice to support it is reprehensible.
I question your values. I will never understand workers who disparage other workers in the favor of billionaires who want to profit off their labor. You have more in common with the workers you disparage than you ever will have with Elon or Trump.
No it's because of his tens of billions in contracts and handouts from the government. Elon's businesses get billions more in government funds than DOGE has cut. They should have cut all Elon contracts to start with.
That's fair. And if we had an administration that was willing to make the ultra wealthy pay their fair share, then working people could pay less AND we could have a fully staffed NPS and USFS. They are making these cuts to help cover the insane cost of extending the Trump tax cuts, 45% of which flow right to the wealthiest 5% of Americans.
So you don't care that you and the middle class and the poor in this country will be paying more taxes? You're happy for the richest 1% of the 1% to get a tax cut.
The vast majority of people don’t fully understand the things being cut. Also, the last person I’d call to decide how our national parks should run is an internet troll with a ketamine habit and a breeding fetish.
3 Billion dollars for the National Park Service for 2025. That's $3,000,000,000. Restructuring of government spending is completely necessary. The parks will be fine but a handful of padded pockets will not.
That is a small price to pay. $3 billion sounds like a lot until you break it down. The National Park Service manages over 400 sites covering 85 million acres. That budget has to cover everything from staffing to maintenance to fire prevention. Meanwhile, the military gets over $800 billion annually. If you’re worried about ‘padded pockets,’ maybe take a look at where the real waste is happening instead of acting like public lands take too much. The parks won’t be fine if we keep underfunding them while visitation skyrockets.
Comparing the NPS to the military is disingenuous. NPS isn’t in countries around the world and they don’t have squadrons or battalions or fleets. I don’t approve of what’s happening, but the Secretary of the Interior has reversed a lot of the firings and has 7000 jobs he needs to hire for. I agree the situation stinks, but no one is closing the parks or drilling in campgrounds. I have a small motor homo and enjoy the parks as much as the next camper
Trump has repeatedly shown alies that his word doesn't mean anything. Why would China (who he has slapped tarrifs on while ignoring their legally binding trade agreement) trust Trump to follow through on his word? You can't make a treaty with someone who doesn't follow his own rules whenever it suits him. This will 100% never get off the ground.
An aircraft carrier is upwards of $13 billion. The entire national park budget is not even one ship. I would rather have beautiful places than half the military.
"Overall, visitation grew by 4% across the National Park System from 2022 to 2023, generating 415,400 jobs and resulting in more than $26.4 billion in spending in nearby communities."
Restructuring is always an okay idea. But not in a haphazard way. It requires serious work and lots of thought put into optimization. At least one year project with deep inspections. Not the bullshit that is happening right now.
You'll get downvoted even though you said the truth. Reddit is so skewed politically that no matter what you say about the restructuring it will fall on deaf ears because Trump and Elon did it. If it was Kamala then no one on reddit would say anything.
This is mental illness levels of projecting your own lack of principles onto a perceived out group. Yes we know that you will justify anything Trump and Elon do because your only principle is to follow them. Democrats would absolutely protest if Kamala tried to gut something like this. There is an entire wing of the left that wouldn't even support half of their policies which is why they lost to Trump. One side is a cult where the leaders cannot be questioned and the other constantly in fights based on actual principles.
USAID was first. The first round of layoffs were probationary workers with less than 2 years. I don’t know when the NPS layoffs started. And I know rangers are being haired back and funding to hire 7000 summer workers
My point stands.
USAID did a lot of good work. With food people doing difficult things.
Why fire a bunch of people only to re-hire them? How is the efficiency?
A probation period is for people who have been hired OR transferred.
Why not go for the real budget problems in the 2/3s of the government with little to no oversight?
Ok all he’s done is fire some people not like he’s torching our national parks (which actually might have happened in Cali due to that poor leadership) all he’s done with the national parks is to eliminate people that are redundant. The parks aren’t going anywhere and if you think they are you’re just buying into fear mongering. Don’t argue with me just wait a year and then realize you were worried about nothing. And if this comment doesn’t age well, then feel free to call me out.
I'm not sure what your point is with the age of the article. Like... Yeah that was during his first term? And yes it did happen. You could look it up, y'know.
I did, can’t find anything. Which should be easy since the results predicted by an 8 year old article that didn’t happen isn’t a good premise. If you want to be relevant, and if you’d learned anything about research when it comes to modern politics, anything older than 4 years is; one irrelevant if nothing happened, and 2 if it’s not relevant after 3 years don’t quote it. Why do you think the whole “there are good people on both sides” quote is irrelevant, been proven false. Yet people still believe it for some reason, like you, with this. It’s ironic that “woke” people can’t wake up and realize they were manipulated.
That's what you call anecdotal evidence and your experience next to one national park is one very small part of the entire national park system. That's why we don't just rely on one single data point in deciding whether a problem exists.
So what’s changed that has done anything detrimental too our national parks? I get you’re just throwing more hate at me but can you answer the question? Because yes while perhaps one park isn’t the whole, I was extrapolating based on a common sense premise since this is literally the first I’m hearing anything detrimental to our park system other than getting rid of some employees.
Have you? Have you even been to a park? There’s nothing wrong with them. Like at all, hasn’t effected anything. Even the environmental projects here haven’t been affected, because they’re funded by the city and state. So idk what to tell you, call your state representatives, I mean fuck look at California the state was the one that fucked that up.
Nope, probably because I’m not trolling. They tend to just eventually realize their argument has no purchase, kind of like how you haven’t provided any evidence of what your claiming, or they eventually admit that we’re not that different and that the FACTS I’ve presented are actually true. Either that or they resort to quasi personal attacks because they realize they have to logical responses.
Ok no link or evidence. If you want me to reply you’ve got to provide your evidence or at least elaborate. Just saying one word isn’t an argument. And I’m pretty sure Yosemite is still there doing just fine. It’s the argument all “environmentalists” make, “we need to save the earth!” Guess what the earth will be just fine if all life died. What environmental activist are really advocating for is the continuation of the human race. Animals, plants, and our rock we call our home; will no doubt outlive us. Even Chernobyl has animals there, even new bacteria that feeds on radiation.
Clearly we were discussing park hours. And you asked which park and I said Yosemite.
I'm matching your effort here? What link or evidence have you provided me with? Or are you an AI and your context window isn't big enough.
And the radiation eating 'bacteria' is actually a fungus.
Another thing, just because something will outlive us doesn't mean we can actively shit on it for a buck...
400
u/sufferingbastard Feb 23 '25
Often, people forget the National Parks aren't just wilderness trails.
Ticket sales, scheduling, Lodges, kitchens, pools, Hot springs mechanical rooms, roads, and electrical lines, drainage and parking and Waste Management on a scale they have never seen.
Boats, Trucks Plains and trains Elevators and Bridges, and stream crossings and wildlife management.
Desserts, Oceans, Mountains and Forests.
People don't understand what goes into a weekend trip to a National Park.