Key facts
- Approved National Park Service maintenance projects have been moved to a low priority list.
- Resources are being diverted to White House priorities, including President Donald Trump's Freedom 250 initiative.
- Nearly 1,500 low-priority projects, with an estimated cost of over $400 million, are expected to be unaddressed.
- The national park repair backlog has doubled to over $24 billion.
- Senator Angus King criticized the administration's focus on aesthetic projects in Washington.
National Park Service employees have been informed that maintenance projects approved for this year have been moved to a "low priority" list, with resources being diverted to White House priorities, including President Donald Trump's Freedom 250 initiative. This directive comes as the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence approaches.
Documents obtained by the Associated Press and statements from park service and Interior Department officials reveal that many of the approximately 1,500 projects on the low priority list are unlikely to be completed. This situation is expected to exacerbate the existing repair backlog in national parks, which has doubled over the past decade to more than $24 billion, despite increased visitor numbers.
Projects affected range from roof repairs at Golden Gate National Recreation Area and computer upgrades at Katmai National Park to essential supplies like toilet paper and garbage bags at Yellowstone National Park. The Interior Department stated that some projects were mis-prioritized and have since been corrected, but declined to provide specifics on the number or cost of these projects.
Senator Angus King criticized the administration's focus on aesthetic projects in Washington D.C. for the 250th celebrations, arguing that these pursuits siphon resources from necessary maintenance at parks nationwide and could lead to the deterioration of these national treasures. He noted that the White House priority list is being placed at the top of the project pyramid.
The bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act, passed in 2020, allocated $6.5 billion for maintenance and repairs through 2025, with a legislative extension pending. However, the park service appears to be advancing at least $80 million in White House priorities, including $52 million already awarded. These include repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, an initiative that faced immediate issues such as peeling sealant and algae growth.
Compounding the issue, contracting officers are in short supply due to staffing cuts, making it more difficult to execute contracts and deliver on administration demands for the Freedom 250 initiative.