Our national parks, under threat

The idea of preserving in a national grouping such spots of scenic beauty and historic memory originated here in this country...In Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, other countries have followed our pioneering example and set aside their most magnificent scenic areas as national treasures for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower

For the first century of our nation, there was an abundance of space, people sought gold in the territories, established farms on the flat lands of the mid-West, needed to surmount the Rockies to reach Pacific treasures, fought American natives who had inhabited these lands for 15,000 to 20,000 years. Struggles for the land, its ownership was paramount yet “spacious skies” and “purple mountain majesty” were not under threat. In 1872, the first national park, Yellowstone, 3,474 sq miles, in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined, was signed into legislature-The Yellowstone National Park Protection Act by Ulysess Grant. Yellowstone was not only the first US national park, it was first national park in the world.

Presidents over the centuries have been steadfast advocates of national parks. In 1916, the National Park Services was birthed to build capacity, expertise for managing burgeoning natural treasures, to protect these lands for the people of the United States – 330 million visitors a year to 433 units covering 85 million acres across 50 states, DC and US territories. National parks, their expansion and protection has never been partisan – from Grant to Teddy Roosevelt, to Harding, to FDR, to Eisenhower, to Carter, to Clinton, to the Bushes, to Obama, to Biden.National Parks have for over a century been irrefutably Presidential–associated with Presidents giving significant attention and funding to preserving the natural beauty of this nation – for the pleasure of the people, for prosperity.

Currently, President Trump who has stated “America’s vast and wondrous national parks stand at the heart of our story, preserving the lands our ancestors cherished and the unmatched splendor of a continent like no other” yet Trump has cut Park staffs by over 25% while seizing moneys allocated by the Congress to Park maintenance, upgrades, and refurbishing for his DC beautification projects –these reallocations, blocked grants, were not reviewed, not condoned by Congress.

Over the years, we the people have been proud and dismayed by the policies and actions of Presidents of the nation, occupants of the White House (all but Washington resided there). Scandals have come in our past, hindering our progression: Andrew Johnson’s Presidential support of Jim Crow laws, Nixon’s Watergate, Harding’s Teapot Dome; Regan’s Iran-Contra Affair, Clinton’ Lewinsky Affair.Trump adds another Presidential scandal done unto the National Parks: diverting $90 million from park entrance revenues to his DC vanity projects along with millions designated by Congress for 131 repair and renovation projects. As of November 26, 2025, Non-US residents 16 and older must pay a $100 per-person surcharge beyond standard individual or vehicle entrance fees for the 11 most highly visited parks – Executive Order 14314 “Making America Beautiful Again by Improving our National Parks.” Before January, 2026, Park annual fees for US residents as well as Non-US residents were $80, after that date an increase for Non-US residents to $250 annually.

There are so many outrages in Trump’s policies, behaviors with so many negative impacts on so many be they immigrants, FBI agents, military brass, or just everyday go-to-the-grocery, stop-for-gas Americans.Here is yet another starling attack –another loss of what had been sustained Presidential honor and pride-Trump actions to undermine, diminish, demolish our nation’s natural wonders-our national parks.How to stop him.

Kathy Herald-Marlowe lives in Sharon.