Weekly Watch: Burgum Debases Himself and Erases Black History
Burgum Debases Himself, Erases Black History, Gets Busted for Illegally Halting Clean Energy Projects, and His Cronies are Kneedeep in Corruption
HELENA, MT – Save Our Parks is tracking the massive assault against America’s national parks and public lands system by Donald Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and their cronies, documenting the ongoing consequences of Trump’s unprecedented attack on our nation’s natural heritage.
Doug Burgum has spent his December going all out, and not in a good way, for our parks and public lands. He’s spent much of his time following Trump around the DC swamp to hype him up as well as any loyal captain of the cheer squad would for a fragile, old man. Whether it was:
Awkwardly “complimenting” Trump as “the most qualified TV host we’ve ever had sitting in the Oval Office” and “the only president we’ve had that would be able to step in and host a show” like the Kennedy Center Honors;
Begging a crowd gathered in freezing temperatures to cheer for Trump and the First Lady at the National Christmas Tree Lighting, only to be met with silence; or
Spending an embarrassingly long time sucking up to Trump and lying about the devastation his leadership has wrought at our national parks and public lands,
When it comes to making a fool of oneself and having fun doing it, Burgum gets an A+++++.
To work for Trump is to shamelessly debase yourself on a regular basis, and Burgum has embraced that mantra with enthusiasm; when Trump says ‘jump,’ Burgum asks, “how high?” Case in point: Burgum’s Interior Department just announced that, rather than offering free park entrance days on Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth, two holidays that celebrate, honor, and remember Black history, our national parks will now be free on Donald Trump’s birthday instead. Burgum, who previously signed legislation and proclamations celebrating Juneteenth in North Dakota, is more than happy to erase, censor, and forget history that Trump finds inconvenient, and this latest example is particularly embarrassing, for Burgum and for all of us.
Burgum’s unpopular moves track with his mass censorship campaign from this past summer, when, across our country’s national parks, park visitors were subjected to requests asking that they flag any “negative content” deemed “inappropriately disparaging to Americans past or living.”
Burgum and Trump’s dog and pony show may generate headlines, but it also serves to mask their potentially illegal, corrupt agenda. Just this week, in response to Trump halting all permits for wind farms on federal land, Massachusetts District Court Judge Patti Saris confirmed that the order violated federal law, and struck it down. Burgum has been at the center of Trump’s Big Oil First energy strategy, proudly gallivanting around the world to promote the administration’s energy agenda that is causing electricity price spikes, and taking a wrecking ball to renewable energy here at home. Burgum, once a wind enthusiast as governor of North Dakota, has blocked or stalled project after project, even ones that were almost completely finished.
Trump will inevitably dump Cheerleader Doug for someone younger and more interesting. But Burgum will forever be stained by his “service” to Trump and for his unqualified and conflicted crony hires at DOI. His résumé will always include illegally halting clean energy projects that would’ve lowered Americans’ electric bills. And, given the outright corruption that is only starting to be exposed within Burgum’s non-transparent Interior Department, Burgum might find himself unemployable all together. If he accomplishes Trump’s goal of privatizing our parks and selling off our public lands, Americans will hold Burgum accountable.
Parks and Public Lands in the News:
Safety and Preparedness
“The steep decline in hazardous fuels reduction efforts on Forest Service lands poses a serious risk to public safety, public health, and the economy,” the Senators’ letter states. “It is imperative that the Forest Service works closely with Congress to address shortfalls in wildfire mitigation and ensure staffing and budgetary resources are sufficient to fulfill the agency’s mission.”
SFGate: Grand Canyon waterline saga dragging out longer than expected
“All but one of Grand Canyon National Park’s hotels remain closed indefinitely due to water supply issues, with officials pushing back reopening estimates to later this week but unable to specify a firm date.”
Privatization and Sell-Offs
Flathead Beacon: As Conservation Groups Rally Support for Roadless Rule, Sen. Daines Pushes for Repeal
“Despite a growing chorus of conservation advocates calling on Montana’s congressional delegates to defend roadless wildlands through permanent protections, a bill to do so seems unlikely to advance without Republican support, including that of U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.”
Salt Lake Tribune: Utah leaders presented federal officials with a ‘wish list’ of national park changes. Here’s what was on it.
“The meeting sparked some concerns that this may be another move by Utah to seize control of federal public lands after three failed attempts earlier this year. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance called the meeting the state’s ‘latest effort to undermine and dismantle the nation’s public lands system’ in a news release on Tuesday.”
Community Impacts
Daily Beast: MAGA Goon Forces Crowd to Cheer for Trump
“Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum had to remind a crowd of freezing Christmas-goers to deliver ‘lots of cheering’ for the president and first lady. ‘You’ve got an important job to do,’ Burgum explained as he prepared a crowd for the arrival of Donald and Melania Trump for the 103rd National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.”
New York Times: Trump’s Birthday Becomes Free National Park Day as MLK Day and Juneteenth Are Cut
“The changes follow previous moves by the Trump administration to take down materials mentioning slavery at national parks and come as part of a broader effort by the White House to erase or play down Black history at government sites.”
SFGate: National parks change prioritizes Trump birthday over days honoring Black people
“Now, visitors to the 116 parks that charge entrance fees will no longer get in for free on MLK Day or on Juneteenth, a federal holiday on June 19 that celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. They will, however, on Trump’s June 14 birthday, which was added to the list this year. Parks charge admission fees that range from $3 to $30, according to the National Park Service.”
National Parks Traveler: NAACP Condemns Removal Of MLK Day And Juneteenth From National Parks Free Days
“‘Removing MLK Day and Juneteenth from the national parks calendar is more than petty politics — it's an attack on the truth of this nation's history,’ said Derrick Johnson, NAACP president & CEO. ‘It’s an attempt to erase the legacy of Dr. King, minimize the story of emancipation, and sideline the communities that have fought for generations to make America live up to its promise. We will not stand by while this Administration tries to turn public spaces into instruments of division.’”
USA Today: National parks ordered to check gift shops for DEI-type items
“National parks have been ordered to check their gift shops for items that support programs like diversity, equity and inclusion – and remove them. According to an Interior Department memo obtained by the nonprofit advocacy group National Parks Conservation Association and reviewed by USA TODAY, parks have until Dec. 19 to review all retail items sold at on-site outlets run by partner associations and concessionaires.”
Stories on the Trail
@western.priorities: Here’s the reality. Almost 10,000 Interior employees have either been fired or taken buyouts this year. Over $300 million of future royalty revenue from oil drilling on public lands LOST due to breaks given to Big Oil. National parks lost over $1 million per day during the 43-day government shutdown. USFS is 38% behind on wildfire mitigation. Is this abundance?
@National_Parks_Traveler: In a statement from the NAACP this week, the group condemned the Trump Administration’s decision to strip Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the National Park Service’s annual free-entry days, replacing them with Flag Day, which also coincides with President Trump’s birthday.
@resistancerangers: And you thought the lines were long before! 😵💫🫠We know you’ve seen the designs for the 2026 America the Beautiful pass, aka the “national parks pass.” Gross, right? 🤢Know what’s even more gross? Asking rangers to determine who is “American enough” to pay the lower cost to enter the parks. For staff at the eleven most visited sites, this is going to mean checking the residency of EVERY person in a vehicle over the age of 16. These staff are among the lowest paid in the NPS—many making less than fast food workers.
@NPCA: “Our National Park Service Rangers should be managing parks, not censorship campaigns.” - Alan Spears, NPCA's Senior Director of Cultural Resources.
@protectNPS: “The return on investment in parks is so huge. It’s not a way to save money to cut parks.”
New video from longtime park leaders outlines the crisis facing NPS: a 24% staffing loss in 10 months. It’s simple: we’re calling for reversing this and sustained congressional support.
The Crisis Continues:
The crisis continues to escalate across America’s 640-million-acre public lands system and is poised to get worse after Trump’s spending package, passed by Congressional Republicans, slashed some $267 million of previously committed funding for national parks. The National Park Service has lost nearly a quarter of its permanent workforce since Trump took office, with some parks now operating without superintendents and at half-staff during peak visitation. Between Trump, DOGE, and Republicans’ draconian budget cuts, hiring freezes, and workforce reductions, the staffing shortages are forcing scientists, park rangers, and other safety personnel to clean toilets and pick up garbage instead of conducting critical work like ongoing maintenance and supporting visitor safety.
Save Our Parks documents and exposes conditions across America’s federal park and public lands system through monitoring reports, visitor testimonials, and accountability research. The campaign maintains comprehensive documentation through its website at SaveOurParks.us.
To speak with Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill, email jayson@focalpointstrategygroup.com.
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