Washington, D.C. — Americans are understandably concerned about short-term impacts of the government shutdown on parks and public lands, including rangers taken off the job, visitor centers closed, small businesses hit hard, and poorly stewarded lands at risk.
But a new analysis from the Center for American Progress shows how these impacts bear a striking resemblance to the bleak future that President Donald Trump’s policies would create for America’s public lands.
Under Trump’s proposed plans, Americans would experience permanently under-resourced parks and public lands, with some national park units permanently transferred away, forest health and wildfire projects cut, and critical science terminated.
The Trump administration is also trying to permanently eliminate almost 18,500 rangers and other public lands roles. Roughly 24 percent of national park staff have already been fired, resigned, or otherwise departed in the first half of 2025.
“Taking rangers off the beat, interrupting research, and halting conservation projects while the government is shut down certainly hurts national parks and public lands,” said Drew McConville, senior fellow for Conservation Policy at CAP and author of the analysis. “But the scary part is that it’s just a preview of what’s to come if President Trump cements his long-term plans.”
While the shutdown has only temporarily closed facilities and halted recreation and visitor services, the Trump administration has targeted some public land protected areas for permanent erasure and is attempting to gut recreation and conservation programs, with long-lasting—and in some cases, irreparable—consequences.
Read the analysis: “The Shutdown’s Impacts on National Parks and Public Lands Offer a Preview of Trump’s Long-Term Vision” by Drew McConville
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].