Our national parks belong to all of us—and right now, they need us to speak up for them.
Americans continue to flock to our national parks, with more than 320 million visitors in the last year alone. These extraordinary places connect us to something larger than ourselves: to nature, to history, to one another, and to the generations who will come after us.
But our parks are facing unprecedented pressures—from orders to revise exhibits, to construction projects, to proposals that could put parts of our public lands at risk of development.
At the same time, the National Park Service is being starved of the resources it needs to protect these places. Spending on projects in park regions outside the Washington area fell by $854 million, or 68%, during the first eight and a half months of fiscal year 2026, compared with the full prior fiscal year. The current administration is also proposing further cuts to the Park Service workforce, which had already been reduced by 24% in 2025.
Our parks are not simply tourist destinations. They are irreplaceable ecosystems, sacred landscapes, living history, and a legacy we have a responsibility to protect.
Native American cultures have long understood that nature is not something to be conquered or owned, but something to be respected and cared for. We should too.
As Dolly Parton said, “we should pay more attention. We’re just mistreating Mother Nature—that’s like being ugly to your mama. We need to take better care of the things that God gave us freely”.
Take the time to learn more about our national parks, visit one if you can, and support organizations such as the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) or the Sierra Club working to protect them. Our public lands need an engaged public—and their future depends on all of us.
https://support.npca.org/page/101781/donate/1?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18086901835