President Donald Trump is putting Americans first at America’s national parks.
Last week, Trump signed an executive order that revamps the fee system at parks charging fees and revamps that system for making reservations at parks to give Americans priority.
“To fund improvements and enhance experiences across the park system, for this anniversary, I’ve just signed an executive order to raise entrance fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans,” Trump said, according to Fox News.
“The national parks will be about America first. We’re going to take it. America first for the national parks,” he said.
An Interior Department representative said the new fee system is “a common-sense, sustainable step to preserve our national treasures without increasing the cost burden on American citizens.”
“With record visitation, this approach ensures that all who benefit from these iconic places contribute to their care and longevity.”
More than 331 million people visited the nation’s 400 national parks in 2024, according to the National Park Service.
“From the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to the tranquility of the Great Smoky Mountains, America’s national parks have provided generations of American families with unforgettable memories,” Trump’s executive order said.
“It is the policy of my Administration to preserve these opportunities for American families in future generations by increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents, and expanding opportunities to enjoy America’s splendid national treasures.”
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The order empowers the Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretary of Agriculture, to boost fees at single parks and for the America the Beautiful Pass.
The money will fund park improvements, the order said.
The order also revoked a memo from former President Barack Obama, “Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Our National Parks, National Forests, and Other Public Lands and Waters,” that was signed days before Trump began his first term as president.
A fact sheet issued by the White House noted that Trump’s order “increases national park access to American families by directing the National Park Service to ensure that U.S. residents receive priority access in any permitting or reservation systems.”
The fact sheet noted that higher fees for foreign tourists helps bring fairness to supporting the parks.
“American citizens fund national parks and public lands with their tax dollars, yet they are currently charged the same rate as foreign visitors who do not pay taxes, meaning that American citizens pay more to see their own national treasures than foreign visitors do. President Trump is ending this unfair situation and putting Americans first,” the fact sheet said.
The fact sheet also noted that a two-tiered fee schedule with higher rates for foreigners to visit national treasures is common in other nations around the world.
The fact sheet also noted that in 2020, the National Park Service had a maintenance backlog of $14.9 billion worth of projects and that “[u]nder the Biden Administration’s mismanagement, the maintenance backlog grew to over $22.9 billion.”
The Interior Department estimated in its fiscal 2026 budget proposal that the surcharge on foreign visitors would bring in more than $90 million per year.
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