$25 MILLION IN NATIONAL PARK PROJECTS BLOCKED
More than 130 planned projects at national parks across the country – worth over $25 million – have been blocked by the Trump administration, according to a recent Washington Post report. The Interior Department, which oversees the National Park Service, quietly disapproved agreements last month covering work at Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Joshua Tree, and other parks nationwide.
NPS regularly partners with outside organizations for projects requiring specialized expertise or additional labor the agency doesn’t have on staff – work already funded through congressional appropriations and existing federal programs, and simply awaiting final sign-off from Interior before the money could be released. An interior spokesperson told the Post the agreements were rejected because the groups involved were “actively working against the best interests of the American people and the priorities of this administration,” and framed the freeze as ensuring taxpayer dollars align with the administration’s priorities.
Joshua Tree Hit Hardest
California’s Joshua Tree National Park lost at least 10 projects, including wildfire preparation, burned-area restoration, and removal of rodents that carry hantavirus from historic buildings. Internal park documents were blunt about the consequences: without this work, the park’s ability to fight wildfire is compromised, and any fires that do occur will be larger and more expensive to suppress.
The Losses Go Beyond Fire Risk
Blocked projects also included protecting prehistoric Native American burial mounds in Iowa from falling trees, conservation work for an endangered snake species in California, and even funding for the care of the sled dogs that patrol Denali National Park in Alaska. The Great Basin Institute, a conservation nonprofit that partners with federal land agencies, had more than 70 agreements – worth at least $12 million – rejected outright. Its CEO told the Post the organization wasn’t even directly notified of the decision and still doesn’t know why its work was targeted.
Why This Matters Here at Home
This fits a pattern we’ve been tracking closely – from the Roadless Rule rollback to the Yosemite land exchange proposal to Forest Service facility consolidations. This latest move shows the effects reaching beyond rulemaking into the day-to-day functioning of the parks themselves: wildfire prevention delayed, invasive species control halted, endangered species work stalled – the unglamorous, essential maintenance that keeps these places safe and healthy for the public. It’s also a reminder that conservation nonprofits, like the Great Basin Institute and organizations like Tuleyome, are often the ones actually doing this on-the-ground work in partnership with federal agencies – and that funding freezes like this one ripple directly into the capacity of groups like ours to do the work.
This move follows this summer’s reductions to Bear Ears and Grant Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah, which are now subject of ongoing litigation. Together, these actions paint a picture of an administration actively narrowing the resources, boundaries, and partnerships that sustain America’s public lands.
RECENT NEWS
On August 29, USDA published a notice of intent to eliminate the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule – the Roadless Rule, jeopardizing protections for 45 million acres of America's wildest forests , about a third of our national forests. Throughout Mendocino National Forest, 154,332 acres of Roadless Areas would lose protection, including nearly 30,000 acres within Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. What's at Stake These forests have only remained intact because of the 25-year commitment not to build roads and open these special areas to industry. Roadless areas provide clean drinking water to 60 million Americans. These forests store 20% of all carbon in U.S. national forests. The outdoor recreation economy generates $730 billion annually. Roadless areas are critical habitat for 1,600+ threatened species. We already have 370,000 miles of roads in forests with a multi-billion dollar maintenance backlog. Studies show wildfire ignitions are 4 times more likely near roads than in roadless areas. We Have Until September 21 st to Save America’s Roadless Forests This our opportunity to inform USDA that we are opposed to rolling back the Roadless Rule. Our goal is one million comments in support of the Roadless Rule What Can You Do? Submit Comments Supporting the Roadless Rule Directly to USDA or Click Here to Sign on to Tuleyome’s letter Our goal is to get 1,000,000 comments into USDA in support of the Roadless Rule! Information on How to Submit Public Comments for USDA Roadless Rule Step 1: Think about what types of comments you want to share with USDA. Here are some suggestions on what makes a good comment: Be specific about what roadless lands matter to you and why, whether for water, wildlife, recreation, wild fire prevention, cultural sites or old growth trees. Show how you will be personally harmed if these protections are removed. That harm can be direct, like losing access to a favorite place, or it can be health-related. Road-building and logging increase smoke, dust and polluted runoff that affect human health. Point to consequences, since roads lead to the removal of trees, severing connected wilderness corridors, erosion and higher fire risk. Call out contradictions such as: Forest service promises conservation while encouraging logging USDA states the Roadless Rule hinders wildfire management but more roads actually increase the likelihood of fire ignition points Feel free to borrow ideas from others or sample letters while maintaining your own voice, this is your opportunity to contribute and speak truth to power. Include your full name and address. Step 2: Go to the Regulations.gov site. This is the official federal government website to submit comments. Step 3: Copy and paste or upload your comments as a PDF. Step 4: Scroll to the bottom of the page, verify that you’re not a robot and hit submit. Consider keeping a copy of your comments for your record. As a reminder the comment period ends on September 21st.
Yosemite National Park belongs to the people. It should not be carved up to benefit a private developer. The National Park Service is working on a new proposal to give up a quarter-mile strip of land inside Yosemite National Park in exchange for property elsewhere in California. What's the goal? To provide a private developer with a new road and direct access from his 83-acre planned real estate development abutting the park to one of Yosemite’s central roads. This proposal deserves the public’s attention. The property is owned by Kingsbarn Realty Capitol, whose CEO wants to build a road connecting the private property to Yosemite. Previous efforts to establish this private access were rejected, including in federal court. The National Park Service has repeatedly refused similar requests for more than two decades. Our National Parks should not be carved up for private profit. National Parks were established in this country to protect America’s most interesting and iconic places for everyone to access, not to provide special access or development opportunities for private interests. Your action is especially timely because the Park Service has acknowledged that no final decision has been made, meaning there is still an opportunity for public scrutiny and opposition. Any eventual land exchange should be subject to federal laws, environmental review, and public notification requirements. Tell the National Park Service: Keep Yosemite public We can’t allow a national park to be reshaped around the interests of a private developer. Yosemite is a national treasure. Its lands, wildlife, cultural resources, and landscapes belong to the American people, and they should remain protected for generations to come. We have seen this kind of proposal before, and the public and the courts rejected it. We must make sure it does not come back through the back door. Yosemite is worth protecting. Speak up and keep it public. TAKE ACTION: Tell Interior Secretary Burgum to Keep Yosemite Public! Here’s How: Call your elected officials. Here is a sample script: “Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from [CITY/ZIP]. I'm calling to urge [Representative/Senator NAME] to publicly oppose the National Park Service's proposed land exchange inside Yosemite National Park, which would give a billionaire private developer, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, new road access through park land. I'm also asking [him/her/them] to call on Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to reject any further privatization or sell-off of our public lands. Yosemite belongs to the public, not private developers. Thank you.” Send a letter or email. You can use this template: Dear [Representative/Senator NAME], I’m writing as your constituent to urge you to oppose the National Park Service’s proposed land exchange inside Yosemite National Park. This proposal would trade a strip of park land to provide Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a billionaire private developer, with new road access from an 83-acre private property to one of Yosemite’s central roads. This is not the first attempt to establish this private access – previous efforts were rejected, including in federal court, and the Park Service has denied similar requests for more than two decades. Our public lands exist to serve the public, not to create development opportunities for billionaires. I ask that you publicly oppose this proposal and call on Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to keep Yosemite, and all our national parks, fully public and protected for future generations. Thank you for representing our community on this issue. Sincerely, [NAME] [ADDRESS/ZIP] Not sure who represents you? Find your U.S. Representative and Senators here .
I first learned of Tuleyome in 2015 when the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument was created and it was in the news. I thought then of what a marvelous and impressive, important effort this was by so many people, including Tuleyome. Importantly it was so inclusive, involving people of so many different backgrounds and interests, getting the buy-in from the community at large. Once I learned about Tuleyome (and the meaning of the name - deep home place) and some of its conservation efforts, I decided that I wanted to contribute, at least in a small way. I come from a farming and research background, and newly retired, wanted to be more involved in conservation efforts and Tuleyome was local and ideal! I think the aspect of Tuleyome’s work that most resonated with me is the focus on educational programs for young people and adults. As an older person, I know that experiences we have in childhood have life-long impacts. Let them be positive and enriching experiences and let them include conservation and the natural world! Young people have many demands on their time and attention and most have limited exposure to nature. Regardless of our career paths, an appreciation of nature is vital for the well-being of us all. As a docent helper this past spring I was touched by three students who said this was the first time they had been out in nature. In 2024 I had the opportunity to participate in the Certified California Naturalist Program (CalNat) and was inspired by the lead instructors Geoff Benn and Nate Lillge, and invited speakers. And, I love the new manual about the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument , especially the geology section. My donations can be used toward any need but I particularly want to support the educational efforts for young people. The National monument is a treasure in our backyards. Its creation and subsequent enlargement in 2024, reminded me of the adage “think globally, act locally”. The multi-pronged conservation efforts of Tuleyome and its commitment to a diverse regional community are such important and positive actions. I see Tuleyome as a small but powerful inspiring organization.