Our National Parks
Our National Parks
U.S. National Parks connect us with the natural beauty of this world. So much of the environmental wonder of this country is possessed within these borders protected from destructive human activity, yet still accessible. An outlet for humans to find peace in the stillness of a grove of oak trees or gasp at the power of a gushing waterfall at the peak of summer. A place to spend nights under the sky where stars shine brightly through crisp midnight air and meander through trees reaching impressive heights on snowy mountains. I have spent mornings venturing through desert arches gaping at their incredulous design in Southern Utah and afternoons at Yosemite marveling at the giant rock faces surrounding the bustling meadow of grasses and wildflowers. Adventures are drawn to these places – old friends finally make their way to bucket list hikes and recent connections solidify into long lasting relationships over the shared struggle of burnt shoulders after a day of splashing in rivers. It takes the form of family trips spent among the Giant Sequoias and cousins gabbing between gasps for air while trekking up winding trails. I find that I feel most alive in these places. Grounded to the greater network of systems that provide life to us all in the inner workings of ecosystems and connected to it by my presence within it. National parks provide us with that necessary connection – connection with mother Earth – her beauty and the lifeforms she holds and connection to our fellow human beings by holding a space for new memories to be made in a shared experience of natural wonder.
However, these protected environmental spaces require tending to. In order for us to be able to enjoy these beautiful places, National Parks must be maintained. Trails are not magically formed and wildlife is not suddenly immune to the trash and waste that humans bring with us. National Park employees work tirelessly to make sure that visitor centers are being run efficiently. They provide tours and dispense information for visitors. They restock toilet paper and maintain the trails, keeping these places we love clean for both visitors and the safety of the natural world. Yet, we live in a time where we face the weakening of environmental protection through federal law, one of the most egregious attacks being the defunding of our US National Parks. In January, thousands of seasonal park workers were denied their positions for the upcoming season and within one week in mid February, the Trump Administration ordered approximately 1,000 national park employees to be laid off. In mid march two U.S. District Court cases have provided the reinstatement of these workers against the Trump administration’s wishes, however many workers have been reinstated just to be put on administrative leave. The House also passed a spending bill cut of $210 million from the National Parks Service’s budget, which is more than a 6% reduction.
Local Impact: Utah’s National Parks
Five National Parks reside within Utah. These include Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands, also known as the “Mighty 5”. These parks see millions of visitors each year and the amount of visitors is on the rise. From 2023 to 2024 there was a 5% increase in visitors with the “Mighty 5” seeing 11.1 million visitors in 2024 and Zion national park alone received 4.9 million visitors, making it one of the most visited national parks in the country. If you have been living in Utah for some time and regularly visit these parks, it has probably been noticeable the spike in visitors over the years. The parks rely on funding and employees to make sure all areas function smoothly, especially as visitor numbers increase. The massive job cuts and denial of seasonal workers have left many vital positions vacant in the realm of maintenance and operations. Without these roles being filled, maintenance may suffer under the pressure of incoming visitors. Imagine restrooms stinking up from the high flux of visitors and lack of employees to perform water treatment and on top of that there’s no toilet paper. Imagine trails dusted with litter and improper markings. Imagine being lost at a visitor center and no rangers are there to help because they are spread so thin. Imagine longer lines throughout the parks; to get in, to park, to get to the visitor center. This is the expected reality for this upcoming peak season. At no fault of the current employees, but because they have lost vital parts of the machine and it can no longer function smoothly, but must chug on sporadically.
National parks play a large role in strengthening the economy of the nation, state, and the surrounding communities. On a national scale, the parks brought $55.6 billion in economic output, $26.4 billion of which boosted the economy of surrounding communities to the parks in 2023. Utah’s national parks alone contributed $3 billion to the state’s economy. Additionally, the parks have proven to be a worthy investment as there is a $15 boost to the nation’s economy for every dollar invested into them, according to the NPCA.
Why Defund?
In light of this, it seems like an economic misstep to defund the parks rather than bolster them, unless the current government has plans to dismantle the parks entirely. Money is invested into projects that are of importance to the representatives and Trump’s administration is far more interested in capital gains than social equity and environmental justice. Each action demonstrates this hierarchy of priorities; Trump has recently appointed Tom Schultz to be in charge of the U.S. Forest Service. Schultz, however, is a former timber industry executive with no other experience in forest management. He has been tasked with overseeing how national forests and public lands are managed, researched, and developed. This is convenient timing as it follows the Trump administration’s expressed desire to increase logging in national forests for economic pursuits due to the tariff prices of lumber imports. If successful, it could create short-term economic gains, but will ultimately cause irreparable damage to these forests, increased air pollution, and further the effects of climate change – all of which will require funding to amend. Combined with the defunding, staff cuts, denial of thousands of seasonal park workers, lease terminations, and visitor center closures, the administration has acted in the direction of dismantling.
Devaluing the importance of the National Parks is a disgrace to the stewarding responsibility we have to the environment as well as a disregard for the history of this country. National Parks are an integral part of American history and one of its citizens’ most cherished public goods. We have a long history of protecting these areas for the sake of their beauty and inherent worth as a natural wonder. They give people access to the natural world and an opportunity to engage with it in managed and safe ways. It is a place to find peace and solace, a place to create sweet memories camping with friends, get on the trails with your siblings, test the limits of your body on multi day backpacking trips – it is a place to appreciate what the natural world provides us.
With the funding cuts, comes a cutback on fundamental research as well. This research helps us to know how to manage forests better, mitigate climate change, keep invasive species in check, and much more. If we take this funding away, we take away a piece of our ability to create positive environmental change. Even for those who don’t plan weekends around visiting national parks and delve into the natural world, these decisions will affect all of us. It is the future of our planet at stake. If we, as a human species, continue to raid and scar the very balance of systems that keep us alive, all living things will suffer, including us.
What Can We Do?
Despite the bleakness of this diagnosis, we reside in a democracy. The people have a voice and we can create change. There have already been protests across America at national parks to show people’s displeasure in the funding and job cuts. Yosemite displayed an upside down American flag (historically a sign of distress), Zion national park has had demonstrators line the park, Yellowstone saw 200 protestors come out to make a stand on March 1st, and many more parks across the nation have seen the same as organized by the Resistance Rangers. In these times of distress we can help our parks by volunteering on trail or vegetation restoration crews, sign petitions to send a message to our government, and call local legislation leaving them a message with our thoughts. When banded together, the people are powerful and our collective voice will bring gravity to the situation. We have the momentous opportunity to advocate for the earth which cannot speak for itself. May we use these critical times to protect this world and maintain the connections to nature and each other that these precious places provide.
Disclaimer: This news is moving quickly and the specifics may have changed by the time this is published, but the threat remains the same so long as the values of the executive branch remain in opposition to the natural world.
Butterfield, Michelle. “Thousands Descend on U.S. National Parks to Protest Firings – National.” Global News, Global News, 3 Mar. 2025, globalnews.ca/news/11063122/us-national-parks-protests-firing-donald-trump-doge/.
Fernandez, Yvette. “National Parks Face Uncertainties in Funding and Staffing as Busy Season Arrives.” KUNR Public Radio, 12 Mar. 2025, www.kunr.org/2025-03-12/national-parks-face-uncertainties-in-funding-and-staffing-as-busy-season-arrives.
Friedman, Lisa. “Trump Moves to Increase Logging in National Forests.” The New York Times, 2 Mar. 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/03/02/climate/trump-logging-national-forests.html.
Hufham, Anastasia. “Trump’s Mass Layoffs Hit Utah National Parks.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025, www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2025/02/21/utahs-national-parks-hit-by-trumps/.
National Parks Conservation Association. “House’s Egregious Funding Cuts and Harmful Policies Put Future of National Parks at Risk.” National Parks Conservation Association, 24 July 2024, www.npca.org/articles/4304-house-s-egregious-funding-cuts-and-harmful-policies-put-future-of-national.
Price, Kiley. “Fired National Park Service Staff Will Be Reinstated, but Long-Term Threats Loom.” Inside Climate News, 21 Mar. 2025, insideclimatenews.org/news/21032025/todays-climate-fired-national-parks-workers-reinstated/.
Siler, Wes. “First Nationwide Protect Our Parks Demonstrations a Success.” First Nationwide Protect Our Parks Demonstrations A Success, Wes Siler’s Newsletter, 2 Mar. 2025, wessiler.substack.com/p/first-nationwide-protect-our-parks.
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