Trump’s Plan to Cut $26 Million from America’s Beloved Parks Sparks Outrage
Donald Trump’s team wants to cut money for many national park programs, according to a report. The total cuts could be around $26 million.
These cuts target programs related to climate change, diversity (DEI), and LGBTQ issues. One program that might lose funding is ‘Scientists in Parks’, which gives jobs to college students and early-career scientists across the country.
The New York Times writes that Elon Musk’s unofficial ‘department of government efficiency team’ has made a list of grants they want to cut according to the newspaper, staff members at Elon Musk’s unofficial department have created a spreadsheet of federal grants earmarked for cuts, with total funding cuts amounting to some $26m.
Cuts
The cuts have already started. Earlier this year, the government closed the National Park Service Academy, which helped bring more diverse Americans into park jobs. They also stopped air quality testing in national parks.
More cuts may be coming. The National Parks Conservation Association says the full cuts could reduce National Park Service work by 75% to save more than $1 billion.
Harder to manage land and prevent fires
Critics say these cuts could hurt the parks and make it harder to manage land and prevent fires. They also say rural areas will suffer most since national parks in particular can be an economic engine, generating more than $55.6bn in economic input, according to the National Park Service.
Park workers are fighting back. They’ve put up over 300 billboards across the country and held protests to show their support for the parks.
