Our national parks and monuments are pristine gems of beauty and history scattered throughout our nation. According to the National Park Service website, in 1916 President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act, which set aside 35 areas of federal land to be established as national parks and monuments, and created a new agency, the National Park Service, which would be in charge of protecting those lands from development.
The Organic Act, according to the National Park Service, states that the purpose is to “conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
Living on the Western Slope of Colorado I, as well as many others, enjoy Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado National Monument as much as I can. As a photographer and nature lover, these parks provide some of the best opportunities to capture some of nature’s greatest landscapes.
Some of my best work has come out of these parks, and I for one am extremely grateful that they are maintained and protected under the Organic Act of 1916. These oases are perfect locations for hikers, mountain bikers and photographers like myself. Even just a drive through these parks will bombard you with stunning scenery.
According to the National Parks Conservation Association, today federal funding for our national parks equates to a mere 1/15th of one percent of the total federal budget just to ensure general maintenance. Over the last five years that number has been decreased by 12 percent to the tune of $364 million.
President Trump has proposed further cuts to to the Interior Department, which includes the National Park Service. His proposal, according to National Public Radio, would cut an additional $1.5 billion, or 12 percent, to the Interior Department’s annual budget, which would bring that budget to historically low levels.
In an act of grandstanding, Trump decided to donate his salary from his first few months in office which equals $78,333 to the National Park Service. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer even made a show of handing an oversized check of this amount to the Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, on live television during a White House briefing.
My question is: How stupid does this administration think we are?
$78,333 is just a little more than I have racked up in student loans with interest, and I am just one individual. This is like taking someone’s house away and giving them a cheap tent as a replacement. The National Park Service said its maintenance backlog is already at $11.9 billion, and more and more projects are being added to that backlog each year.
Trump’s proposal would ultimately force national parks to raise their entrance fees even more. Arches National Park, and Canyonlands National Park have already raised their entry fees from $10 per vehicle to $25 per vehicle back in October of 2015, just to cover general maintenance.
At what point does it become too expensive for the average person to enjoy? The whole point of the Organic Act was to conserve these places of natural beauty for everyone to enjoy. If the Trump administration follows through with this budget cut, and Congress approves, only the financially well off will get to see them. So much for “the enjoyment of future generations.” Personally, I think President Woodrow Wilson would disapprove of President Trump’s plans for our national parks.
