"The proposed plan risks leaving a severely understaffed Park Service struggling to operate our parks, while also expecting staff to undermine the agency’s responsibility to preserve our most treasured places." - Kristen Brengel, NPCA's SVP of Government Affairs
Washington, DC – The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is deeply alarmed by recent reports on the administration’s draft strategic plan for the Department of the Interior, including the National Park Service. Though not yet finalized, this document offers an early indication into the administration’s vision for our national parks and public lands over the next four years – prioritizing monument rollbacks and the transfer of federal lands to states, actions that conflict with the core mission of the Park Service.
These concerns are compounded by the current crisis within the National Park Service workforce. In just a few months, the agency has lost nearly 13% of its staff, putting a major strain on parks across the country. Now, remaining staff could be forced to implement policies that undermine the fundamental purpose of the Park Service and its mission that these staff pledged to uphold, including protecting and preserving our national parks for future generations.
Statement by Kristen Brengel, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):
“In just over three months, the Trump administration has pushed out nearly 13% of the National Park Service’s workforce, triggering a full-blown staffing crisis. Now, a draft strategic plan reveals the administration’s broader vision for our national parks and public lands over the next four years. And the direction it sets is deeply alarming.
“The proposed plan risks leaving a severely understaffed National Park Service struggling to operate our parks, while also expecting staff to undermine the agency’s responsibility to preserve our most treasured places. Shrinking national monuments and transferring historic sites to state control are moves that stand in direct opposition to the existence of the Park Service. The Park Service exists to protect America’s most treasured places – not give them away.”
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
