National Park Funding Outside DC Has Fallen +/- 70% Since October; Meanwhile, Yosemite Jammed Like Everest On Summit Day

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Since last October, when fiscal year 2026 began, there’s been a roughly 70% drop in spending on park projects outside Washington DC, an $854m decrease from the previous year, according to an investigation by the Atlantic. Roughly $235m of that total was pulled from parks in the Pacific west region, which includes Yosemite. At the same time, spending on the national capital region has soared by more than 92% in the last year, as more than $100m in fees collected at parks across the country were spent on the president’s favored projects. Reportedly, the US’s 250th birthday celebrations were pointed to as one reason for the reinvestment. Requests for comment from the Department of Interior and the National Park System went unanswered.

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“We don’t have the capacity, parking or staff wise, to deal with the amount of visitors we get,” a Yosemite staffer said in a recent survey conducted by the union representing park employees to collect feedback on the decision to rescind the reservation system. The vast majority of responders condemned the move and said it would affect their working conditions.

There are fears that with fewer rangers and more visitors, the risks of more tragedies will rise. The recent death of 22-year-old Josue Baires Alfaro, who was swept over Yosemite’s Nevada Fall in June, is still under investigation. The parks were directed by the interior department to stop notifying the public about injuries and fatalities. Experts, including conservation leader and author Beth Pratt, whose recent book showcased the 150 species that call Yosemite home, have also raised concerns about the devastating effect overcrowding has had on ecosystems. “These are the last best places for wildlife,” Pratt said, pointing to shrinking habitats and the deepening biodiversity crisis. Her research has shown a direct correlation between rises in visitation and bear deaths.

Even on a less-busy day, small animals were struck by cars on one of the roads that wind through the park. Several chipmunks and two skunks were left on the pavement where they died. A dead bobcat was unceremoniously dragged onto the shoulder.“If we keep going down this road of not being willing to put some limits so that these special places stay preserved, we’re just not going to have them anymore,” Pratt said. “I fear that by the 500th anniversary, Yosemite will just be Half Dome and a parking lot – devoid of life.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/04/trump-national-parks