1. Our Parks, Our Pride, Our Values
National park areas are not just parcels of land and water – they are our legacy. They unite us and remind us of what’s worth saving. Defunding not only eliminates the “place,” it eliminates their intrinsic value.
2. The Return On Investment for Local Jobs and Economies
National park areas support tourism, jobs, and small businesses—generating billions in revenue each year. Defunding them means fewer visitors, less spending, and more job loss in local communities.
3 To Know the Institutional Knowledge Part I
National park areas are part of America’s shared story and identity—a democratic ideal of conserving resources unimpaired for future generations (the Organic Act of 1916). Defunding and eliminating national park areas defeats the law.
4. To Know the Institutional Knowledge Part II
Two Congressional Laws (of 1970 and 1978) enhanced the Act of 1916 and defined the “System” of national park areas despite their title. Eliminating hundreds of areas betrays the laws and devalues their popularity with the American people.
5. Protect the Rangers Part I
When you visit a national park area and see a ranger, did you know there are many different types of operational units? National Park Service rangers and staff in all operations are a pool of expertise and specialization.
6. Protect the Rangers Part II
National Park Rangers and staff, in all operations, have specialized training and expertise in resources, facility operations, visitor protection and services, administration, and management. Layoffs mean fewer people to inform, protect, rescue, and maintain.
7. A Cultural Experience
National park areas enshrine our nation’s history and enduring principles that remind us of the sacrifices made on behalf of those principles. Park areas are known for interpreting positive events but also the scars on our shared history. Defunding compromises learning from our history.
8. Every 4th Grader Knows Why
Every fourth-grade curriculum includes American History. From Civil War battlefields to pioneer trails and presidential birthplaces, national park areas protect crucial pieces of U.S. history. Why eliminate the park educators and outdoor classrooms?
9. They Preserve Indigenous Heritage & Sacred Sites
Many national park areas were once Tribal lands. They hold deep cultural and spiritual meaning for Native Americans. Defunding these areas threatens decades of consultation, building trust, and protecting these sacred lands and historical narratives.
10. The Tonic of Wildness - They Foster Physical and Mental Health
Hiking, camping, and simply being outdoors reduce stress, improve mood, and encourage physical activity. Medical professionals are prescribing time in nature to lower blood pressure, boost immunity, and calm emotional disorders. It works as long as national park areas remain.
11. National Park Areas Provide Scientific Research Opportunities – They Support Science, Not Silence
National park areas are invaluable laboratories for studying worldwide challenges. Without funding, crucial data and expertise disappears on geology, water cycles, wildlife, invasive species, weather extremes and ocean events. Funding studies and education produce models for coexistence especially in urban interfaces.
12. Manage Wildland Fires Before They Begin
National park areas maintain a century of forest fire data and studies. In this age of evolving weather cycles, an understanding of natural fire regimes helps protect resources, neighboring farmlands, ranches, and communities. Again, without funding, crucial data and expertise disappear.
13. Recreation is Part of the Picture
National park areas, from mountain tops to coral reefs, are where America plays at hiking, camping, paddling, fishing, climbing, photography, sightseeing, and more – why shut the gates for individuals and families on joy?
14. Don’t Compromise on Visitor Safety
Fewer staff = more danger to the public. Underfunded national park areas cannot respond adequately to emergencies.
15. They Are a Legacy for Local Communities and Future Generations
Many National Park Service programs are geared for local and state communities like Historic Preservation Grants, Natural Heritage Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers Program, and National Recreation Trails. As funding is diminished, so will these external programs to our neighboring. Once lost, they’re gone forever.
16. Help Beyond Park Boundaries
Individual park area staff provide untold assistance when called by local communities. National park area personnel support emergency responses from vehicle accidents to tornado destruction to flood search and rescue. There is also law enforcement back-up, wildland firefighting, and resource management.
17. National Park Areas are Safe Havens to Preserve Biodiversity
National park areas provide critical habitats for species and support entire ecosystems, keeping nature’s delicate balance intact. Plant and animal species in national park areas are genetic reserves for future medicines, food resources, and pollution cleanup. Maintaining funding equates in maintaining invaluable biodiversity.
18. National Park Areas Connect People to Nature Even In Urban Settings
In an increasingly digital, fast-paced world, parks offer natural sanctuaries for solitude, silence, and reflection. National park areas connect, and reconnect, people from different cultural identities with the natural world, and with each other. Even the “Nation’s Front Yard” - our National Mall - is susceptible to funding chaos.
19. Awe, Inspiration and Spiritual Renewal
Early western painters promoted the idea of a ”National Park” through their museum masterpieces. Time spent in wild, majestic places fosters peace, introspection, and a deeper sense of connection to the planet. Defunding is like clearing out the Smithsonian.
20. Promote Public Access for Everyone
National park areas are open to all, regardless of income or ability — one of the few places where public land is truly shared, and many times it is free.
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