Trust for Public Land opposes Trump administration's proposed US$1B National Park Service budget cuts for 2026; group cites YouGov poll showing bipartisan opposition to public land sales, park closures

Denver, CO – Upon the release of the Administration’s proposed Federal budget plan for 2026 and its impacts to the National Park Service and other land management agencies, Trust for Public Land CEO and President, Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser release the following statement:

“At Trust for Public Land, we are for fully for funded public land management agencies—to keep our national parks, forests, refuges and public lands open, safe, and accessible to all. We are for investing in the people and programs that make our national parks and public lands thrive—from recreation and economic development to wildfire mitigation and climate resilience, and national historic preservation.

That’s why the Administration’s proposed 2026 budget—which would cut more than $1 billion from the National Park Service and remove sites from the National Park System—is so deeply alarming. These proposed cuts would be the most severe in the Park Service’s 109-year history, undermining the very fabric of the places Americans treasure most and that Congress intended to be protected for current and future generations.

This is not what the American people want—Americans love their National Parks and public lands. In fact, according to recent national pollingMemorandum To: Interested Parties From: Will Klein, Director of Research, Trust for Public Land Date: April 10, 2025 Re: Public Attitudes Towards Changes to Management of National Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Refuges Poll Findings Trust for Public Land commissioned a survey conducted by YouGov of 4,000 US residents to understand public attitudes about proposed federal changes to the management of the country’s National Parks, Forest, and Wildlife Refuges. Our survey shows there is broad opposition to the sale of these public lands to the highest bidder, closure of National Parks, Forest, and Wildlife Refuges, funding reductions to the federal agencies managing these public lands, and staff layoffs at those agencies. This opposition is bipartisan – a majority of respondents who voted President Trump and Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election oppose the sale or closure of public lands. A majority of Harris voters and a plurality of Trump voters oppose funding reductions and staff layoffs. 71% of Americans oppose the sale of public lands By a 61-point margin, 71% - 10%, Americans oppose the sale of existing public lands - such as those providing opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other recreational uses - to the highest private bidder. Strong majorities of both 2024 Trump and Harris voters oppose selling these public lands, with opposition at a 45-point margin among Trump voters (61% - 16%) and a 79-point margin among Harris voters (85% - 6%). In general, do you support or oppose the sale of existing national public lands - such as those providing opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other recreational uses - to the highest private bidder? All U.S. residents Don't know Support Oppose (71%) (19%) (10%) 2024 Harris Voter Oppose (85%) 9% 6% 2024 Trump Voter Don't know Support Oppose (61%) (23%) (16%) Source: Trust for Public Land / YouGov Survey of 4,000 U.S. adults conducted March 2025 74% of Americans oppose the closure of national public lands By an 8:1 margin, Americans oppose the closure of national public lands – including visitor centers, campsites, trails, and recreation areas – in an effort to reduce federal spending. 74% oppose the closures, including strong majorities of both 2024 Trump and Harris voters, while just 9% of Americans are in support and 17% reporting they don’t know. In general, do you support or oppose the closure of national public lands – including visitor centers, campsites, trails, and recreation areas – in an effort to reduce federal spending? All U.S. residents Don't know Support Oppose (74%) (17%) (9%) 2024 Harris Voter Oppose (89%) 7% 5% 2024 Trump Voter Don't know Support Oppose (64%) (19%) (17%) Source: Trust for Public Land / YouGov Survey of 4,000 U.S. adults conducted March 2025 63% of Americans oppose layoffs of staff managing national public lands By a 4:1 margin, Americans oppose the layoffs of staff from federal agencies that manage public land – including park rangers, wildland firefighters, and maintenance crews responsible for caring for public lands - at the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife, and US Forest Service in an effort to reduce federal spending. 63% oppose the layoffs, including a plurality of 2024 Trump voters (41%) and an overwhelming majority of 2024 Harris voters (87%). In general, do you support or oppose layoffs of staff from federal agencies that manage public land - including park rangers, wildland firefighters, and maintenance crews responsible for caring for public lands - at the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife, and US Forest Service in an effort to reduce federal spending? All U.S. residents Don't know Support Oppose (63%) (22%) (15%) 2024 Harris Voter Oppose (87%) 8% 5% 2024 Trump Voter Don't know Support Oppose (41%) (28%) (31%) Source: Trust for Public Land / YouGov Survey of 4,000 U.S. adults conducted March 2025 62% of Americans oppose reductions in funding for national public lands 62% of Americans oppose a reduction in funding to the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other public land management agencies for visitor services, firefighting, maintenance, public safety, and oversight of public lands. This includes a strong majority of 2024 Harris voters and a plurality (and near majority) of 2024 Trump voters. Less than 1- in 5 of survey respondents support the reductions in funding. In general, do you support or oppose reducing funding to the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other public land management agencies for visitor services, firefighting, maintenance, public safety, and oversight of public lands? All U.S. residents Don't Know Support Oppose (62%) (22%) (17%) 2024 Harris Voter Support Oppose (80%) 9% (11%) 2024 Trump Voter Don't know Support Oppose (49%) (25%) (26%) Source: Trust for Public Land / YouGov Survey of 4,000 U.S. adults conducted March 2025 Methodology The National Survey on Outdoor Public Spaces is a web-based survey administered by YouGov and sponsored by Trust for Public Land. YouGov interviewed 4,501 respondents from their opt-in panel representative of U.S. adults between March 13 – March 27, 2025. The sample was then weighted by gender, age, race/ethnicity, education to match nationally representative targets based on Census data, voter file records, and other public voter surveys. The sample was further post-stratified on 2020 and 2024 presidential vote. The estimated credibility interval (analogous to margin of error) for the full sample is +/-1.8%. The Harris voter subsample has a credibility interval of +/-2.7% and the Trump voter subsample has a credibility interval of +/-3.1%. The full survey and methodologies are available upon request. commissioned by Trust for Public Land, 62% of Americans oppose funding reductions for public land agencies, including the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. And by a 4-to-1 margin, Americans reject the idea of laying off the dedicated staff who care for these places every day.  In all, 74% of Americans oppose the closure of national public lands—including visitor centers, campsites, and recreation areas—to reduce the federal budget.

Our parks and public lands are more than scenic backdrops or picturesque landscapes —they are economic engines, job creators, and spaces of history, healing, and community connection. Outdoor recreation supports a $1.2 trillion economy, with our national parks generating $55 billion annually for local economies and supporting 400,000 jobs, many in rural and underserved communities. These lands not only serve as economic drivers but also help protect us from the growing threats of wildfire and climate change, while providing essential opportunities for recreation, and the preservation of our shared cultural heritage.

Trust for Public Land has helped expand the National Park System by more than 65,000 acres because we believe, like generations of Americans before us, that some places are simply too important to lose. Our national parks and public lands are among our nation’s heirlooms and greatest legacies—and their protection and stewardship must be among our highest priorities.”

About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,364 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.