National Park Service (NPS) employees keep our parks running. Whether they’re manning the entrance stations, offering hiking advice at the visitors’ centers, or leading ranger talks and programs, NPS staff are key to visitors’ experiences and the daily management of these protected places.
On April 3, the Trump administration released its proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year, which would significantly reduce both NPS budgets and staff for public lands nationwide. The proposed cuts would affect national parks, national monuments, battlefields, rivers, seashores, lakeshores, parkways, and more.
Congress alone can approve spending, so, for now, these proposals essentially amount to a White House wish list. Nevertheless, they reflect Trump’s priorities and policy approaches for NPS in 2027.
Budget Cuts
The Trump Administration’s 2027 budget proposal requests $2.14 billion for “expenses necessary for the management, operation, and maintenance of areas and facilities administered by the National Park Service and for the general administration of the National Park Service.”
This proposal represents a $736 million budget cut, or about 25%, compared to last year.
It also reduces the NPS construction budget to less than $50 million, a 72% reduction from 2025. This means the agency would have less money for repairs, infrastructure projects, and building visitor services facilities.
The budget requests the establishment of a $10 billion “Presidential Capital Stewardship Program” within the agency to “coordinate, plan, and execute targeted, priority construction and beautification projects in and around Washington, D.C.”
That amount would be more than triple the entire NPS budget.
The 2027 budget is similar to Trump’s 2026 proposed budget. In that document, he asked to reduce funding to the NPS to $2.116 billion, a 37% cut. Congress ultimately rejected that proposal and approved $3.267 billion for the 2026 NPS.
Staffing Cuts
In January 2025, the well-known “Fork in the Road” email from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which pressured employees into resignations and early retirements, led the NPS to lose around 2,400 employees, or about 12% of its workforce.
Later in February, in what has become known as the Valentine’s Day Massacre, the Department of the Interior (DOI) fired around 1,000 NPS employees. All told, estimates put the total staff loss for the NPS at 20-25%.
Recent actions by the DOI indicate that those staffing approaches will continue. In a press release from April 2, DOI Secretary Doug Burgum announced a new plan to “improve efficiency, boost American energy independence, and better serve the American taxpayer.”
As part of that plan, the agency said it will offer “another Deferred Resignation Program as well as another opportunity for Voluntary Early Retirement.”
To be eligible for the early retirement program, employees must be at least 50 years old and have 20 years of federal service, or be any age and have 25 years of service. It is unclear how many NPS employees may be affected by these policies.
The press release also stated that the DOI will focus on “aligning more National Park Service positions to visitor‑facing roles.”
“The initiative aims to strengthen Interior’s mission of stewardship and service, optimizing operations, streamlining outdated bureaucracy, and ensuring meaningful economic benefits for taxpayers and communities across the country,” the release said.
National Park Groups React
These two measures received widespread condemnation from park advocacy groups. In a press release, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) said a cut of this size would be “catastrophic.”
“After a year of deep staffing cuts, dwindling resources, and attacks on history and science, park staff are already at the brink. Park maintenance needs are growing, protections are eroding, and visitor experience is declining,” NPCA Senior Director of Budget and Appropriations John Garder said.
“This proposal would only accelerate the damage, putting our national parks at even greater risk and further cutting the park staff needed to care for our national treasures.”
The Center for Western Priorities also slammed the budget proposal. “The White House budget is missing key details, but even in broad strokes, it paints a bleak picture for America’s parks, wildlife, and everyone who hunts, fishes, hikes, or simply enjoys the outdoors. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has already fired or forced out 13,000 employees,” Deputy Director Aaron Weiss said in a press release.
“How many more does he plan to push out the door? This document doesn’t say. National parks are already short-staffed heading into summer. 2026 is shaping up to be one of the driest and most dangerous years for Western communities. This budget tells the people who do that work and live in the West that things are only going to get worse.”
Why Does It Matter?
The NPS manages far more than just the 63 designated national parks. It is responsible for 433 sites, including national monuments, battlefields, rivers, seashores, lakeshores, parkways, and more. The entire NPS system saw 323 million and 331 million visitors in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
These budget and staffing changes come after widespread reports of understaffing causing problems at parks. SFGate reported that visitors’ fees at Yosemite have gone uncollected because the park lacks the employees to staff the entrance gates. Those fees cover a significant portion of the operating costs that parks like Yosemite require.
Cuts to the NPS and its construction budget could also spell serious trouble. Several national parks, including Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the Grand Canyon, are still dealing with the aftermath of devastating wildfires in 2025, which have closed large sections of the parks and require extensive rebuilding. With this year’s historically low snowpack, many experts are forecasting an early and potentially devastating wildfire season in 2026.
Other parks, like Big Bend, are dealing with aging infrastructure. Large parts of the Texas park have faced water access issues after pumps failed. A budget shortfall recently caused Big Bend to cancel plans to fix the water system and repair a historic lodge.
Hearings for the 2027 budget began in March. Congress is currently on its April recess. Annual funding bills must pass by Sept. 30. You can look up contact information for your representative on the house.gov website if you want them to hear your opinions.
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