Reality Check: Doug Burgum Mismanagement And Misallocation of Fees Leaves National Parks in Chaos
Burgum Reallocates $67 Million of Park Fees For Trump’s Vanity Projects
HELENA, MT – Americans returned home from the unofficial start of summer after getting a firsthand look at what Doug Burgum and his unqualified parks czar Kevin Lilly have brought to our national parks: chaos, gridlock, and danger for American families. Meanwhile, new reporting by the New York Times exposed Burgum’s use of $67 million in park visitor entrance fees for Trump’s D.C. vanity projects as other public lands and parks languish, with the maintenance backlog now exceeding $34 billion.
“Burgum’s decision to allocate at least $67 million in park entrance fees for Trump’s unpopular vanity projects is as crooked and costly as it is shortsighted, especially considering the current maintenance backlog is approaching $40 billion. Adding insult to injury, Burgum’s unqualified and unconfirmed park’s lead, Kevin Lilly, scrapped the reservation system that helped keep visitation manageable, while leaving parks dangerously understaffed for the unofficial start of summer,” said Jayson O’Neill, Save Our Parks spokesperson. “As a result, tourists faced chaos and heightened risks, including gridlock, long-lines, and overwhelmed staff. It is a recipe for disaster that puts visitors and employees at greater risk, which could push our beloved parks beyond the brink.”
At Yosemite, after the reservation system that had successfully managed overcrowding for years was scrapped, wait times to enter the park exceeded an hour and a half last weekend, and in some cases visitors were turned away entirely. March was already the park’s busiest month in a decade, and it’s only getting worse. Early season figures show Yosemite has recorded nearly 100,000 more visitors compared to the same period last year. Other national parks experienced a surge in visitor numbers this past weekend as seasonal hiring has been described as a ‘sh**show’ by Interior officials.
The growing concerns around Kevin Lilly and Burgum’s mismanagement of America’s beloved national parks is reflected in the administration’s disastrous proposed FY2027 budget. As summer tourism increases, less staffing and misappropriated and reduced funding will only increase safety risks, costs, and chaos as America celebrates its 250th anniversary.
Kevin Lilly, the unqualified and secretive Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, a former Texas wealth manager and investment banker, has been making decisions in an acting capacity that could run afoul of federal law. Lilly swore in the new superintendent of Yosemite Park in a private ceremony last month, with the press explicitly not invited. The mismanagement of America’s national parks is part of Burgum's fail-by-design plan under Trump’s Project 2025 to push privatization.
“After paying over $4.50 a gallon for gas, a Memorial Day tradition turned into another nightmare for American families who drove hours to get to a national park only to face chaos under Burgum and Lilly’s failing leadership. And as if ruining America’s national parks wasn’t enough, Burgum has now decided to pick a fight with the Pope, too,” said O’Neill.
Additional Background:
Trump’s Billionaire Interior Sec. Burgum Finally Issues Order Installing Unqualified Investment Banker to Oversee Parks And Wildlife Following PressureICYMI: Save Our Parks Exposes Unqualified Former Investment Banker Ruining Our National ParksDid Doug Burgum Lie to Congress? The Data Doesn't Lie
To speak with Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill, email jayson@focalpointstrategygroup.com.
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