$25 million in national park project funds blocked by Trump administration: Report

The Trump administration has reportedly blocked more than 130 planned projects at national parks across the country, putting more than $25 million worth of funding on hold.

The Interior Department, which oversees the National Park Service (NPS), “disapproved” of agreements last month for projects at Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Joshua Tree and other parks, The Washington Post reported, citing internal documents.

NPS often works with outside organizations for projects that require additional workers or specialized expertise rather than hiring additional federal employees, the Post added.

The outlet reported that the funding came from sources including congressional appropriations and existing federal programs and was awaiting the Interior’s approval before it could be released.

Interior spokesperson Aubrie Spady confirmed to The Washington Post that the department had rejected agreements with groups she described as “actively working against the best interests of the American people and the priorities of this administration.”

“This decisive action is ensuring that these taxpayer dollars are being used in alignment with the administration’s objectives to make life more affordable for Americans, unleash domestic energy production and expand access to our public lands,” she said.

Joshua Tree National Park in California was reportedly the most impacted, with at least 10 projects blocked, including wildfire preparation, burned area restoration and the removal of rodents that carry hantavirus from historic buildings.

Internal documents warned that losing funding for the projects could make it more difficult and costly to fight fires at the park.

“If this work is not completed, the park will be unable to fight wildfire. Fires will be larger and fire suppression will be more expensive,” the documents read, according to the Post.

Other projects would have worked to protect prehistoric Native American mounds in Iowa from falling trees, supported efforts to preserve an endangered snake species in California and paid for the care of sled dogs at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

The Great Basin Institute, a conservation nonprofit that works with federal land agencies, reportedly had more than 70 agreements worth at least $12 million rejected.

The group’s CEO, Peter Woodruff, told the Post that it was not directly notified by the Interior about the decision and did not know why its agreements had been blocked.

In July, President Trump notably signed orders reducing the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah, prompting Patagonia and a coalition of Native American and environmental groups to challenge the reductions in court.