The Hidden Costs of Budget Cuts to National Parks

The policies of cutting budgets for US national parks under the new government administration have numerous costs behind the environmental and ecological Impacts on the surface. 

First and foremost, the cost of the budget cut is the negative impact on visitors. The orders from the new administration not only reduce expenditures at all national parks by decreasing direct funding, but also terminate the employment of many staff members. According to an AP News report in mid-February, approximately 1,000 National Park Service (NPS) employees were terminated. Additionally, according to a July report from KJZZ, NPS has lost 24% of its permanent staff since January. This dramatic decrease in the number of staff is not only detrimental to a person’s career but also to the administration of national parks as a whole. With insufficient personnel, the park may be unable to provide adequate services during peak seasons. Many trails, ranger-led programs, and campgrounds will be closed.

Furthermore, the shutdown of facilities might also lead to overcrowded facilities and longer wait times at service windows. There are more adverse effects compared to those that directly trouble visitors, such as deferred maintenance in various parts of the national parks. Without a doubt, the decrease in budget means parks will no longer have the latitude they had in maintaining the different parts of the park as they did before. As a consequence, they will have to relinquish some parts of the land to ensure that there are sufficient funds for other parts of the park. This may lead travelers to overlook key attractions, resulting in a negative impression of the destination after the visit. 

Lastly, the budget cut will lead to institutional & cultural erosion in different ways. First, it is hollowing out the initial mission. National parks are established for values beyond monetary gains; they are established to preserve natural beauty and biodiversity, and to educate the public about history and culture. They are a primary source for American kids and the incoming generations to understand what America and the North American Continent are. If American society were to abandon them, the consequences would be unimaginable. Not only does the budget cut deviate from the national parks' initial mission, but it also contributes to cultural whitewashing in this country. Without the national parks, more and more people will not be able to understand the indigenous histories of those lands and the complicated history of the indigenous people in America. Numerous programs about racial violence and settler colonialism will be cut back, and make this country's history feel more comfortable—but less honest. 

Aug. 17, 2025 | Leo Ge @ Non-Toxic SGV