By Sen. Martin Heinrich
WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., sent a letter demanding answers from U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on the Trump administration redirecting tens of millions of dollars from fees paid to the National Park Service to fund President Trump’s vanity projects in Washington, D.C.—including redirecting funds collected at New Mexico sites such as Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Bandelier National Monument.
“Visitors to our national parks contribute millions of dollars to the National Park Service’s budget by purchasing recreation passes and digital versions of the America the Beautiful Pass. The American people deserve transparency and a complete explanation of where their money is being directed,” the senators wrote in a June 15 letter to Burgum.
Some of Trump’s vanity projects being funded by park entrance fees include repairing ornamental fountains, renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and covering statues in gold leaf.
“This loss in revenue for our parks could have devastating effects on the future viability of these public natural treasures,” the senators stated in their letter. “As of the end of Fiscal Year 2025, NPS had a backlog of deferred maintenance projects totaling over $24.2 billion. Deteriorating roads, water systems, and other park facilities pose safety concerns for visitors and over time degrade the overall park experience. The redistribution of revenues to D.C. projects could mean multiple millions of dollars lost for individual national parks around the country.”
Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, at least 80% of the recreation fees paid must be used at the national park site where the fees were collected to upkeep or maintain the park and 20% is to be available to the agency. The allocation of this amount of park fee revenue funding to support projects for the President’s personal enjoyment is unprecedented.
The senators also emphasized that the redirecting of this money comes amidst the Trump administration’s drastic budget cuts to national parks and mass NPS layoffs.
“The lack of transparency around awards for these beautification projects, as well as the loss in revenue meant for the maintenance and betterment of our national parks threatens the public’s trust and the long-term integrity of our nation’s most beloved public lands,” the senators said. “Accordingly, as we investigate the potential waste, fraud, and abuse by the administration, we request a detailed explanation for where the revenue from digital passes is being directed and what percentage of this revenue is supporting the D.C. projects rather than supporting the maintenance of our public parks.”
The letter is led by U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Along with Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet,D-Colo., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Angus King, I-Maine, Ed Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
