The Trump Erratic Leadership Style Endangers Our National Parks

The Trump National Park Shutdown: A Brief Introduction

The Trump National Park Shutdown is the main topic of this post. The consequences of shuttering them will be far-reaching, affecting local businesses, park conservation, and public morale. Economic Devastation for Local Communities National parks significantly contributes to local and national economies. Yes, folks, both local and national economics are impacted if the parks shut down. According to the National Park Service (NPS), in 2019 alone, visitor spending in communities near national parks resulted in a $41.7 billion economic output, supporting 340,500 jobs (National Park Service, 2020).

We have significant precedence to not even consider such a foolish shutdown. The 2013 government shutdown demonstrated the economic consequences of park closures when an estimated $76 million per day was lost in visitor spending (Loomis & Richardson, 2013). In the shutdown in 2013, it is estimated that the government lost $1,216,000, yes, over 16 days the loss of revenue amounted to 1.2 billion dollars. This does not include the money spent to restore the damage done to parks while no one was there to secure the parks from vandals.

Local economies, particularly those in rural areas dependent on tourism, will face severe financial losses. Businesses reliant on park visitors—such as hotels, restaurants, and outdoor recreation services—will struggle to survive prolonged closures. For example, during the 2018-2019 shutdown, communities around Yosemite National Park reported a 50% drop in business revenue due to a decline in tourism (Knight, 2019).

The Trump National Park Shutdown: Undermining Conservation Efforts

The National Park Service plays a crucial role in preserving America’s natural and cultural resources. Budget cuts and staff reductions threaten these conservation efforts. The 2018-2019 government shutdown led to the accumulation of waste, unchecked vandalism, and damage to fragile ecosystems across various parks, including Joshua Tree National Park, where vandals cut down iconic Joshua trees (Bartz, 2019).

Without adequate funding and staff, conservation projects are delayed, habitats are endangered, and wildlife populations suffer. The Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts further exacerbate these challenges by slashing funding for critical park services (National Parks Conservation Association, 2018). Leaving parks unprotected is un-American behavior. To do so assures that what happened in the 2018-19 shuttering of government in park vandalism will not only return, it will return with a vengeance. Then what?

Alienating the Public and Eroding National Pride National parks represent a shared cultural and natural heritage that transcends political divisions. The closure of these spaces alienates the public, diminishing national unity and pride. Public access to national parks fosters appreciation for America’s landscapes and history, a value recognized since Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency.

When visiting a National park nobody is asked who they voted for, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, or independents, or socialists, or whether they voted in the last presidential election. Not one person is questioned about his or her country of origin when visiting one or more of our exquisite National parks. The parks put the best of the United States on display for the world to experience the jaw-dropping experience of seeing the beauty of the landscape or the anthropology of the indigenous people that occupied the land for thousands of years before the Spanish ‘discovered’ the American Continents.

Limiting access contradicts this long-standing tradition. During the 2013 government shutdown, public frustration surged as tourists were turned away from sites like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone (Hartig, 2013). International tourists, drawn to America’s renowned park system, will also reconsider travel plans, harming the country’s global reputation.

The Trump National Park Shutdown: Ignoring Historical Lessons

History reveals the dangers of undermining public institutions for political or economic gain. The erosion of public services in favor of corporate interests has led to disastrous consequences in multiple contexts. For instance, the privatization of public lands in the late 19th century led to deforestation and habitat destruction, prompting the creation of the National Park Service in 1916 (Sellars, 1997).

The Trump administration’s tendency to prioritize business interests over public resources mirrors these historical missteps. Furthermore, past shutdowns have demonstrated that closing parks is not a cost-saving measure but rather an economic and political burden (Congressional Research Service, 2019). Provoking Public Outcry and Resistance: The Trump National Park Shutdown Consequences Shutting down national parks will once again trigger widespread public opposition.

The bipartisan appeal of national parks ensures that resistance will come from diverse groups, including conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, business owners, and political leaders. In previous shutdowns, grassroots movements have emerged to demand the park reopening, with state governments stepping in to fund operations temporarily, as seen in Utah’s intervention to keep Zion National Park open in 2013 (Allen, 2014). This public backlash translates into political consequences, as voters hold leaders accountable for policies that harm cherished public resources.

Many of the Trump decisions in his second term after around seven weeks in office were met with massive protests causing the chaos machine to retreat only to claim that they made a mistake and it won’t happen again. Yet, as Rachel Maddow reports, such pushback seems to work wonders as the Trump vendetta machine shakes and sputters. This is a time for the people to join in expressing a significant displeasure with The Trump National Park Shutdown potential.

The Trump administration displayed their reluctance to alienate citizens through the cowardly act of caving to grassroots pressure. This is what is needed to fact this administration’s chaos machine.

The Trump National Park Shutdown: Conclusion

The Trump administration’s decision to shut down national parks is a short-sighted move that will have dire economic, environmental, and political repercussions. The potential closures devastate local businesses, hinder conservation efforts, alienate the public, ignore historical lessons, and provoke widespread opposition. National parks are not just recreational spaces; they are pillars of the nation’s identity and economy. Preserving them is essential for future generations, and any attempt to undermine their value must be met with resistance.

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Sources Cited

Allen, J. (2014). Utah’s national park funding during the shutdown: A case study. Journal of Public Administration, 15(4), 101-115.

Bartz, B. (2019). National parks suffered during U.S. government shutdown.

Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shutdown-parks/national-parks-suffered-during-u-s-government-shutdown-idUSKCN1PL2N5

Congressional Research Service. (2019). Effects of the 2018-2019 government shutdown on national parks. Retrieved from https://crsreports.congress.gov Hartig, J. (2013).

The impact of the 2013 government shutdown on national parks. Environmental Policy Journal, 22(3), 215-230. Knight, H. (2019).

Yosemite businesses struggle amid shutdown. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved from https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Yosemite-businesses-struggle-amid-shutdown-13565025.php Loomis, J., & Richardson, R. (2013).

The economic impact of the 2013 government shutdown on national parks. Tourism Economics, 19(6), 1321-1334. National Park Service. (2020).

National park visitor spending effects. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm National Parks Conservation Association. (2018).

The Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts to the National Park Service. Retrieved from https://www.npca.org/articles/1911-the-trump-administration-s-proposed-budget-cuts-to-the-national-park-service Sellars, R. (1997).

Preserving nature in the national parks: A history. Yale University Press.

Suggestions for Further Reading

The Economic Benefits of National Parks: A Case Study Approach Conservation Under Threat: The Impact of Budget Cuts on Protected Areas Public Lands and Political Agendas:

A History of National Park Policies Voices from the Field: Park Rangers Speak Out on the Challenges Facing National Parks Tourism and Rural Economies:

The Role of National Parks in Sustaining Communities Environmental Stewardship in the 21st Century: Challenges and Solutions

The Global Significance of America’s National Parks: International Perspectives on Conservation Grassroots Movements in Conservation: Case Studies in Public Advocacy

Disclaimer: All images on this page and throughout the blog are AI-generated and serve solely to illustrate the arguments presented in each post. These images do not depict real people or events but are intended to enhance the discussion. No offense is intended, nor do we aim to single out any individuals through the use of these images.

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