Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has introduced an amendment to the Interior appropriations bill that would pave the way for the Trump administration to sell off national parks to the highest bidder.
The Interior appropriations bill, as currently written, would prevent the Interior department from disposing of national park units — a provision that was introduced in response to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s suggestion that the Park Service does not need many smaller sites that are currently owned by all Americans.
The President’s 2026 budget proposal only contained funding for a fraction of the national park system and could have led to the elimination of more than 300 national park units, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.
If passed, Lee’s amendment would send a message to the White House that downsizing America’s national park system is acceptable. Amendment #3972 would strike section 130 in S.2431, the Interior appropriations bill. This section requires the Interior department to maintain ownership and operation of all existing National Park Service units, national historic trails, and wild and scenic rivers.
Section 130, which Lee is attempting to remove, reads:
The Department of the Interior shall maintain all Federal lands designated as, or as a part of, a national park unit, a national scenic or national historic trail, or a wild and scenic river as of May 2, 2025 as Federal land and continue to operate such unit, trail, or river as an entity of the National Park Service including for such purposes as Federal employee staffing and entry, permit, and other fee collections.
This is a blatant and tone-deaf attack on America’s public lands. With this amendment, Mike Lee is telling President Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum that even our national parks can be sold to the highest bidder. Our parks are the legacy that we pass along to our kids and grandkids, not lines on a balance sheet.
Sen. Lee’s amendment shows his complete disregard for the fact that national parks, trails, and recreation areas fuel local economies across the West. Shockingly, it shows his lack of concern for his own state—where national parks contribute at least $3 billion a year to the economy.”