By Kate Groetzinger
At a Friday evening live taping of The Landscape podcast at Gemini Beer Company, the Keep Parks Public tour highlighted the ongoing threats to Western Colorado’s public lands. In Colorado, staffing and funding cuts by the Trump administration threaten the health and accessibility of national public lands, as well as Grand Junction’s economy, which is driven by outdoor recreation. Congressional proposals to sell-off public lands earlier this summer threatened the very existence of national public land, including popular mountain biking trails like the Lunch Loops.
“The public lands in Grand Valley are what make this a great place to live. Attempts to sell-off our public lands and to weaken the agencies that manage them threaten the biking and hiking trails our community—and my business—depends on,” said Cole Hanson, co-owner of Gear Junction and vice chair of the Grand Valley Outdoor Recreation Coalition. “As an outdoor gear business owner, my livelihood relies on the existence of accessible and well-managed public lands.”
These attacks on our public lands are likely to get worse, as President Trump’s proposed 2026 budget would cut National Park Service funding by 36 percent, or $1.2 billion, and U.S. Forest Service funding by 35 percent, or $1.6 billion. These cuts would lead to a 30 percent drop in National Park Service staff and a 40 percent drop in Forest Service staff, according to the Center for American Progress.
“The Trump administration’s attacks on the National Park Service and other land management agencies are stretching staff thin and putting natural and cultural resources in danger,” said Ken Mabery, former superintendent of Colorado National Monument. “Even if we turn around the treatment of civil service employees today, it will take years to restore the trust in these career paths enough to attract high performers back into public service.”
“Our parks are being dismantled piece by piece through devastating staff cuts and rollbacks. If we want to protect every park, we need all members of Congress to stand up and defend them,” said Tracy Coppola, the National Parks Conservation Association’s Colorado Senior Program Manager. “Every park matters, from Black Canyon of the Gunnison to Colorado National Monument. Every park story counts. And every cut hurts. Our national parks and the next generation deserve better. This is a call to action and an opportunity to stand strong together.”
Audio, video, photos, and transcripts from Friday’s event will be available on the Keep Parks Public media archive.
CWP’s Keep Parks Public tour kicked off in Denver on August 13 and continued on to Las Cruces, Tucson, Salt Lake City, and Grand Junction, making stops along the way to talk to former park employees and community members affected by the Trump administration’s attacks on national park staffing and funding. Public land advocates can follow along on the Keep Parks Public Instagram feed. This event was also part of the National Parks Conservation Association’s Protect Every Park campaign.
The public is invited to share their thoughts and join the campaign to Keep Parks Public and stop the attacks on America’s public lands.
Since 2012, the Center for Western Priorities has been a leading source of accurate information about energy and public lands across the West. CWP advocates for responsible uses of American lands, including recreation, conservation, and renewable energy.
Kate Groetzinger is Communications Manager at Center for Western Priorities.