National park advocates in Montana are challenging the Trump administration for diverting park project funding to repair work in Washington, D.C.
National reporting indicates the federal government spent more than $60 million in park entrance fees on work like repairing ornamental fountains and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. At the same time, the Trump administration has canceled or delayed around 1,500 projects in national parks, including 16 in Glacier National Park and 45 in Yellowstone National Park.
Ben Super, executive director of the group Montana Conservation Voters, a nonprofit organization supporting leaders committed to protecting Montana's environment, questioned the administration's priorities.
"It's just stunning for Montanans to watch projects like the Reflecting Pool, and just to watch that entrance fee money disappear and be wasted," Super said.
According to the Center for Western Priorities, many of the stalled projects in Glacier National Park are for basic upkeep, including a maintenance needs assessment for facilities owned by the National Park Service. The National Park Service repair backlog is $24 billion nationally, including $132 million for Glacier National Park alone and $1.2 billion for Yellowstone National Park.
Montana Conservation Voters sent a letter to Montana's U.S. senators asking them to restore this funding, but so far hasn't received a response. Tourism is Montana and Wyoming's second largest industry. Super pointed out visitors to national parks boost local economies.
He noted because of the short warm-weather window for repair work in the parks, funding delays can stall projects for long periods, adding many of the projects are about public safety.
"If you've ever been to Glacier National Park on a hot, sunny July day, it is absolutely crushed with people. People that are there to enjoy the beauty and the scenery of the park but all of these places have inherent dangers," Super emphasized.
The Trump administration has defended the funding shifts, saying they help beautify the nation's capital and many were done to prepare for the nation's 250th birthday on July 4. Renovations and subsequent repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool have cost nearly $16 million.
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