akatheweatherdsoul on Nostr: Shhh... Guess what? El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, the geysers at ...
Shhh... Guess what?
El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, the geysers at Yellowstone, and even your favorite Mount Rushmore will all still be standing long after we're gone. These natural wonders have been around for millions of years—Yellowstone’s geysers, for instance, are part of a volcanic system that’s been active for at least 2 million years.
And maybe, just maybe, trimming the National Parks budget isn’t such a bad idea.
Have you seen what we’ve done to these parks? These sacred places are being trashed by tourism and commercialization. In 2023 alone, the National Park Service reported over 325 million visitors across its 428 sites. That’s a lot of foot traffic—Yosemite sees about 4 million people a year, and it’s left trails eroded and wildlife stressed. The commercialization doesn’t help either; gateway towns are packed with souvenir shops and fast-food joints cashing in on the crowds.
I’ve witnessed it firsthand, year after year.
But I suppose it really comes down to whether or not these lands are protected by the national park workers—the ones who keep the trails clean, pick up trash from the campgrounds, and maintain the roads. The Park Service employs about 20,000 people, but they’re stretched thin with a maintenance backlog that hit $22 billion in 2024. Budget cuts could mean fewer staff, sure, but the current funding—around $3 billion annually—hasn’t exactly kept pace with the wear and tear.
What exactly sets these places apart from any other land in the United States? Is it their name? Their significance? Yellowstone was the world’s first national park, established in 1872, and Mount Rushmore’s carvings took 14 years to complete. That’s history, no question.
Once you step outside the park boundaries, do the sights, animals, and amenities suddenly lose their value? Bears don’t care about invisible lines, and neither do the views.
Look, it’s simple. Stop hating Trump just because he’s reassessing the personnel needed at these parks. Every single department under the federal government’s oversight—handling a budget of over $6 trillion in 2025—should be audited, evaluated, and trimmed. The Park Service isn’t immune; it’s part of the same system. Cutting fat could preserve your ability to visit and enjoy the services we’ve entrusted to this bloated government, without letting these places turn into overpriced theme parks.
El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, the geysers at Yellowstone, and even your favorite Mount Rushmore will all still be standing long after we're gone. These natural wonders have been around for millions of years—Yellowstone’s geysers, for instance, are part of a volcanic system that’s been active for at least 2 million years.
And maybe, just maybe, trimming the National Parks budget isn’t such a bad idea.
Have you seen what we’ve done to these parks? These sacred places are being trashed by tourism and commercialization. In 2023 alone, the National Park Service reported over 325 million visitors across its 428 sites. That’s a lot of foot traffic—Yosemite sees about 4 million people a year, and it’s left trails eroded and wildlife stressed. The commercialization doesn’t help either; gateway towns are packed with souvenir shops and fast-food joints cashing in on the crowds.
I’ve witnessed it firsthand, year after year.
But I suppose it really comes down to whether or not these lands are protected by the national park workers—the ones who keep the trails clean, pick up trash from the campgrounds, and maintain the roads. The Park Service employs about 20,000 people, but they’re stretched thin with a maintenance backlog that hit $22 billion in 2024. Budget cuts could mean fewer staff, sure, but the current funding—around $3 billion annually—hasn’t exactly kept pace with the wear and tear.
What exactly sets these places apart from any other land in the United States? Is it their name? Their significance? Yellowstone was the world’s first national park, established in 1872, and Mount Rushmore’s carvings took 14 years to complete. That’s history, no question.
Once you step outside the park boundaries, do the sights, animals, and amenities suddenly lose their value? Bears don’t care about invisible lines, and neither do the views.
Look, it’s simple. Stop hating Trump just because he’s reassessing the personnel needed at these parks. Every single department under the federal government’s oversight—handling a budget of over $6 trillion in 2025—should be audited, evaluated, and trimmed. The Park Service isn’t immune; it’s part of the same system. Cutting fat could preserve your ability to visit and enjoy the services we’ve entrusted to this bloated government, without letting these places turn into overpriced theme parks.