Interior Dept Blocks 130 NPS Projects Worth $25 Million as Trump Redirects Funds to White House
Updated
Updated · Missoula Current · Sep 17
Interior Dept Blocks 130 NPS Projects Worth $25 Million as Trump Redirects Funds to White House
1 articles · Updated · Missoula Current · Sep 17
Summary
$25 million in fiscal 2027 National Park Service work was blocked across more than 130 additional projects, according to internal documents cited by the Washington Post.
Interior said the projects were halted because partner organizations were identified as working against administration priorities, even as the same report tied earlier NPS funding withdrawals to White House and National Mall projects.
Great Basin Institute said it lost funding tied to 78 park projects totaling $12.7 million, including archival work at Glacier and Yellowstone, and said it received no explanation after seeking clarification in August.
The blocked work lands as NPS has lost roughly a quarter of its staff since Trump took office in 2025 and still faces about $30 billion in deferred maintenance.
Montana parks illustrate the strain: Glacier has a $132 million maintenance backlog, Yellowstone more than $1.2 billion, while Yellowstone again reached 3.5 million visitors by late August.
How will the massive $30 billion maintenance backlog permanently reshape the future of outdoor recreation and local tourism economies?
As park funds are redirected to the capital, what irreplaceable historical artifacts and natural wonders are quietly being left to deteriorate?
With critical safety upgrades frozen, are millions of visitors unknowingly stepping into hazardous conditions at America's most beloved national parks?