Since 1872, America has enjoyed the beauty and splendor of the National Parks. From the dunes of Indiana to California’s Yosemite, the states are scattered with unique natural beauty. The National Park Service has offered safety for animals and plants, spaces for tourism and recreation, and protection of our environment.
In the past few months, the National Park Service has begun to face extraneous setbacks and dangerous opposition with new potential policies and employment cuts. Since President Donald Trump’s establishment of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), Head of Department Elon Musk has begun to remove funding and employment at these parks in order to save money. There is currently a proposed 20 percent cut to all funding to these Parks, and the setbacks are already visible through trail closures and over 1,000 rangers and other employees being fired.
In theory, the government would be saving money by spending less on National Parks, yet shutting off their funding will also decrease how much they themselves are capable of bringing in. The National Parks bring in around 318 million users per year, with visitors bringing in 26.4 billion dollars. In the long run, the efficiency of such spending cuts would not be seen.
The continuous push for oil around the world has made some individuals desperate enough to look towards National Parks natural resources as a solution. President Donald Trump is eager to begin searching through various National Parks to retrieve the oil found there in order to solve his proclaimed oil crisis. With the assistance of Kathleen Sgamma, the to be Director of the Bureau of Land Management, they have begun to expedite drilling leases and roll back various environmental protections.
The NPCA (National Parks Conservation Association) has identified 13 different National monuments that are in present danger due to these oil propositions. Among these 13 is the first monument established by President Theodore Roosevelt– the Devils Tower.
These parks serve as a source of pride for our nation, and the disregard for their importance is disheartening to many. This attitude towards our natural environment reflects the further intentions to how our parks will be treated in the future. The state of our oil reserves is highly concerning, but it is mainly an issue due to America’s consumption of fossil fuels and the lack of research and usage of renewable fuel resources. The cure to the oil crisis should never come at the expense of our protected national lands.
