NPS Funding Sign On Letter | New Poll Finds NPS Budget Cuts Unpopular with American Public
Good Reads: Best Whiskey Trips in the U.S. | 7 National Parks for Fall Visits | State Campaigns to Win Back Canadian Visitors
The heavy lifting on the FY26 appropriations bills has begun. The Senate will soon consider the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill and the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition has drafted a letter to the full Senate them to support the bill. It notes that there are provisions important to tourism communities, including:
Requires the National Park Service to hire, rehire and retain sufficient park staff to perform the agency’s mission to protect natural and cultural resources and ensure visitor enjoyment and safety.
Maintains all units as federal entities of the National Park System.
Ensures the timely delivery of grant and cooperative agreement funds.
The last bullet point is important for National Heritage Areas, who had their Congressional appropriated funding held up for months this year, as well as other small non-profits.
The draft letter is attached. Deadline for signing is noon on Thursday, November 20. Let me know by email if you would like to sign and how you would like your organization listed. There are a number of national associations and Friends groups that have signed on, it would be great to get some gateway communities on this letter.
For those who want to go deeper on the issue of NPS funding, the National Park Conservation Association released a poll last week that found the President’s proposed budget cuts for NPS are deeply unpopular. 69% of Americans opposed the President’s proposed $1 billion cut to the NPS budget, and only 16% support cutting park staff. A detailed breakdown of the poll results can be read here.
Good Reads
The Washington Post reports on the growing trend of whiskey tourism with The best whiskey trips in the U.S., according to a spirits writer.
With the end if the government shutdown, NPS is getting back to normal operations and The Washington Post reports on Seven national parks we love for fall.
With Canadian visitation down by an estimated 30%, Travel and Tour World rounds up what states are doing to win back the market in California Joins Florida, Montana, New York, Arizona, Massachusetts, Illinois And More In US To Launch Exciting New Tourism Campaigns Aimed At Attracting Canadian Visitors.