America's Dumbest Idea

A 40% cut to our national parks budget would be devastating.

By Peak Design

June 9^th, 2025

The following is an essay by Peak Design's Head of Environmental and Social Impact, Annie Nyborg.

They are famously deemed America’s “best idea”: our national parks. The U.S. pioneered the concept, establishing the world’s first national park, Yellowstone, in 1872. With that designation, the U.S. set a global precedent for conservation and public land access. Years later, Franklin D. Roosevelt would say, “There is nothing so American as our national parks. The scenery and wildlife are native. The fundamental idea behind the parks is that the country belongs to the people.”

Like many Americans, my introduction to these special places was as a child on family vacations. I loved spending time with my family outside but took for granted the insane natural spectacle around me. I also took for granted the parks’ simple existence - in my world, they had always been there and they would always be there.

My youthful lack of awareness began shifting in high school with my first visit to our country’s first park. My dear friend Laurel invited me to join her and an expert guide, her dad, on a trip to Yellowstone. Laurel’s dad is the legendary conservationist Doug Peacock (Hayduke indeed, lives). In addition to knowing the area better than just about anyone, Doug is a hell of a storyteller which gave significant life and meaning to the place. Laurel and Doug not only helped me appreciate Yellowstone, they helped me appreciate all our national parks.

Laurel and Doug rolling into camp (Yellowstone NP, 1997)

Baby's first bison (Yellowstone NP,1997)

If you haven’t noticed, our national parks are bonkers. They boast an absolutely incredible diversity of landscapes - from deserts (Arches) to rainforests (Olympic), mountains (Rocky Mountain), coastlines (Acadia), and volcanoes (Volcanoes). In addition to nature, many sites also preserve American history and culture, such as the Independence National Historical Park (home of the Liberty Bell).

The National Park Service represents a commitment to preserving our country’s natural beauty and cultural history for future generations and has helped inspire the development of similar systems in over 100 other countries. Way to go, U.S! Or at least the U.S. of yore: the current administration thinks it’s a good idea to slash staff and funding for a system that is already understaffed and underfunded. Which seems doubly nefarious given that polls consistently show the vast majority of citizens of all political stripes loving and wanting to protect our national parks.

David (Head of Finance) and Molly (Director of Environment Design) in Yosemite NP.

Annie (Head of Environmental and Social Impact) in Joshua Tree NP.

Lorenzo (Wholesale Marketing Manager) in Grand Canyon NP.

Kieran (Analytics Engineer) in Great Sand Dunes NP

Nate (Community Engagement & Content Manager) and Goose (Bestest Boy) in White Sands NP

Lorenzo (Wholesale Marketing Manager) in Joshua Tree NP

Pajnucci (Design Engineer) in Yosemite NP

Jason (Senior UX Designer) in Big Bend NP

Jimmy Chin and the Peak video & photo team in Grand Teton NP

The administration’s budget plan would gut the National Park Service, jeopardizing the protection, maintenance, and operation of the country’s more than 430 national parks. The administration’s budget calls for cutting $1.2 billion from the National Park Service, representing a 40% decrease of an already insufficient budget. All this despite the parks generating $41.7 billion in economic output and visitation hitting an all time high, last year clocking in at a record 332 million visits. The current administration’s attack on the parks may be America’s dumbest idea.

The cut could force the closure of up to 350 park units, impacting more than 75% of the national park system. Let that sink in: even if only a portion of the proposed cut goes through, it would be devastating, if not existential, for our national parks. It would also all but terminate efforts to protect park ecosystems and wildlife, and jeopardize the preservation of historic landmarks.

Forced staff reductions since January have already resulted in reduced visitor services, including shortened hours, canceled tours, and limited access to facilities. And unfortunately it’s not just the National Park Service that’s feeling the heat. Our other public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service are also facing unprecedented staff layoffs, funding cuts, and threats to privatize and develop.

Of our nation’s lands and waters, Theodore Roosevelt advised, “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders…Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty.” It was no doubt a prescient warning. Americans universally love our parks and want to see them prosper while a small group of selfish leaders and greedy interests threaten their very existence. It would be a tragedy to see this country's "best idea" succumb to its dumbest.

Claire (Senior People Operations Manager) in Kenai Fjords NP

Jason (Senior UX Designer) in Canyonlands NP

Jen (Head of Customer Service & Logistics) and Brandon (Partnerships Manager) in Crater Lake NP

Nate (Community Engagement and Content Manger) in Great Sand Dunes NP

Annie (Head of Environmental and Social Impact) in Sequoia NP

Oliver (Supply Chain Sustainability Manager) in Zion NP

So what can we do?

Tell anyone who will listen what is happening - many folks don’t realize our national parks and other public lands and waters are on the chopping block in the proposed budget. Making some noise is an important way of getting politicians to take notice.
Tell federal elected officials that cutting staff and funding for our parks is a dumb idea. You can do this by calling/emailing them directly (it’s their job to represent your interests), tagging them in social posts, and writing op-eds to your local papers. This makes a big difference. You can also use this handy online form asking them to reverse staffing cuts to land management agencies.
Donate or get engaged with organizations who are fighting the cuts and/or helping to protect these special places. You can find Peak’s longtime advocacy partners on our Take Action page. Additionally, each public lands management agency has a charitable partner that supports its work. These are: The National Forest Foundation, The National Park Foundation, and The Foundation for America’s Public Lands.
Get inspired by watching a beautiful short film we produced about Doug Peacock.