President Trump Has a Pet-Project Docket at the National Parks
The National Park Service changed the way it prioritized projects so that the president’s requests are quickly approved.
President Trump's administration has granted itself priority access to the National Park Service's (NPS) funds and resources, with projects requested by the White House being expedited. In just five days, $1.5 million was allocated to replace brick pavers in Lafayette Park, while $170,000 was secured within six days to remove a fence around Hains Point golf course.
A $5 million project to gild equine statues along the Memorial Bridge took 12 days. This rapid-approval system was established through an executive order issued by Trump, which created a separate docket for "White House priorities" within the NPS. These projects are given top funding and contracting resources, while other park projects nationwide are left to languish.
The Interior Department has dismissed concerns over this approach, stating that the low-priority list includes items that have been "mis-prioritized and were corrected." However, those working in the parks claim that the lack of staff and capacity to handle contracts is the real issue, leading to a growing backlog of unfinished projects.
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