President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order, which calls the National Park System to charge a high entry fee for foreign visitors.
It instructs the internal secretary Dag Bergam-which oversees the National Park Service-Any National Park charge for the current entry “to” develop “a strategy” for an entry fee and entertainment pass fees for non-American residents.
At a rally in Iowa on Thursday evening, Mr. Trump said, “To improve the park system and fund increased experiences, I have signed an executive order to increase the entry fee for foreign tourists keeping prices low for Americans.” “National parks will first be about America.”
CBS News has reached the internal department and the National Park Service, when the fee may increase or how much can be spent for non -residents.
In its 2026 financial year budget proposal Released in May, the internal department estimated that such surcharge would generate more than $ 90 million annually.
Not all national parks charge an entry fee, and the fee varies for those who do. Generally, visitors can buy either a standard daily or weekly pass in a specific park, or an annual pass that can be used in a park or in a certain area of ​​the country. Park service also provides a more comprehensive “US the Beautiful” pass, priced at $ 80 and can be used in all national parks across the country.
Some of the most popular sites of the National Park Service – such as Yelostone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon – a charge of $ 20 or $ 35 per vehicle per person.
Mr. Trump ordered the internal department to give “preference treatment” to foreign visitors about the “recreational access rules, which may have a park’s place, including permission or lottery rules. The order did not say what will enter those preferential treatment rules, but some popular national parks have reservation system for admission and camp during extreme weather.
Order was canceled on Thursday also A memorandum In January 2017, at the end of the tail of former President Barack Obama’s second term, demanding diversity and inclusion in national parks. The step appeared to be a part of the ongoing effort by the Trump administration to bring back the diversity efforts of the federal government.
The latest steps come for Trump administration Reduce size The employees of the National Park Service. Trump administration Lie down about In February, 1,000 Park Services Employees, as part of their push, to implement budgetary cuts in large -scale personnel and federal government, led by Elon Musk -led Government Efficiency Department.
On the ongoing analysis This week By an independent advocacy group, by the National Park Conservation Association, Park Service has lost 24% of its permanent employees as President Trump took over in January.
In its 2026 financial year budget, the internal department also proposed a cut of more than $ 1 billion in the park service, which would be the biggest budget cut in its history.
And in a separate executive order on Thursday, President Also established The “Make America Beautiful Again” commission, among other things, will be tasked to “expand for public land and water for entertainment and encourage voluntary conservation efforts.”
The commission will be chaired by Bargam and will be formed by members of the Trump administration. The order was vested by Benji Backer, the founder of Group Nature and CEO, which is Nonpartison.
Backer said in a statement on Thursday, “This is an honor to lead this nonpartison initiative with the White House.” “Today is a great win for the environment, but it’s just the beginning.”
One in Interview of June 19 With CBS News, Backer was important for a language in Shri Trump’s early Senate versions of “Bade, Beautiful, Bill”, which would have allowed thousands of acres of public land to be sold for housing and infrastructure development.
That language Was finally removed From the edition of the bill which passes through the House on Thursday and goes to the President’s desk for its signature.
“Just because something is not a national park or national forest area, it does not mean that it is not worth it in public hands,” told CBS News at that time. “If it passes, Donald Trump’s legacy will not be good on conservation.”
Tracy J. Wahlf and Nancy Chen contributed to this report.
