Dear John,
If there’s one thing Americans can agree on, it’s that our country has been blessed with majestic natural beauty. National parks like the Grand Canyon. Shenandoah. Yellowstone. Yosemite. There’s a reason why the U.S. parks system has been called “America’s best idea.”
Just this week, the National Park Service celebrated 109 years of conserving America’s natural wonders. Spanning 85 million acres in all 50 states, our parks are a public good to be shared and enjoyed by all Americans.
Which is why it’s so infuriating that Trump and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency are chipping away at the National Park system — cancelling grants and contracts while taking an axe to the National Park Service budget.
Let’s take a few minutes to share our appreciation of America’s National Parks — and to reflect on our responsibility to them. Please check out this week’s video, and then share it with friends on your socials to help get the word out!
Trump’s National Parks cuts aren’t just bad for those of us who want to visit. They’re bad for our economy, too.
In 2023, total visitor spending in communities surrounding our national parks hit a record $56 billion dollars and supported 415,000 jobs. The National Park System’s entire budget was just $3.6 billion dollars. That’s a massive return on investment.
Taking away national park services from the public simply doesn’t make sense. Our parks belong to all of us — that’s part of what makes them beautiful. And they’re being gutted so Trump can offer bigger tax cuts to his billionaire friends.
Please check out our video, and thank you for remembering our responsibility to protect our National Parks — for ourselves and for future generations.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media
