NPS FY26 Appropriations Sign On Letter
Good Reads: FEMA reorganization | Analyzing summer travel season
Although the White House has not yet released the full President’s FY26 budget, the Appropriations Committees are moving ahead with drafting the 12 bills that will fund the federal government. The House Appropriations Committee is expected to release its Interior Appropriations bill shortly and the NPS 2nd Century Action Coalition wants to weigh in with committee leaders on the impact of the President’s budget recommendations, particularly for NPS operations, staffing, National Heritage Areas, and Land and Water Conservation Fund. Draft letter is attached. Please note, this is another quick turnaround request. Deadline is noon on Friday, June 13. Signers are organizations. Let me know if you want to sign and how your organization should be listed.
This a detailed letter and may sound a little bureaucratic so I want to be clear about what tourism position is on the FY26 funding for the NPS (and the U.S. Forest Service): Don’t cut the budget, don’t cut staffing, and don’t sell off our national treasures.
Also, some housekeeping, I am sending along the May coalition letter detailing the ideal NPS budget and the June letter to the Senate asking them to strip out the harmful provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, H.R. 1, that would cut staffing levels. I know that not everyone can sign this letters but I thought you would find is useful to have the final letter in case you get questions on these issues from your congressional representatives, and so you can see which organizations are signing the letters that you may be able to work with on state and local issues.
Good Reads
With hurricane season upon us, I thought it would be useful to have some details on the Trump Administration’s restructuring of FEMA. The Washington Post had a good piece over the weekend, As disasters loom, emergency managers say they aren’t counting on FEMA.
The New York Times analyzes the summer travel season and finds optimism for domestic travel in America’s Summer Hot Spots Wonder: Will the Vacationers Still Come?