As the federal government reopens, a new survey shows most Americans oppose NPS staff cuts, the removal of signs and placards inside parks and a proposed $1 billion budget cut to the NPS.
NPS sites like the Grand Canyon have experienced staff reductions (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Updated November 14, 2025 10:54AM
A new poll shows Americans overwhelmingly oppose it Sweeping cuts by the federal government from National Park Serviceas well as $1 billion budget cuts That the Trump administration has proposed for NPS in 2026.
D Research project was launched by National Park Conservation SocietyA non-profit that helps fund projects in the NPS and was run by market research firm YouGov The poll asked 3,000 adults 18 and older and was conducted between Oct. 27 and Nov. 2, according to the NPCA.
“This poll reaffirms that Americans are united in their support for our national parks,” NPCA President Theresa Pierno said in a press release. “Protecting our national parks is a bipartisan issue.”
The survey asked respondents questions about ongoing changes at the NPS, as well as some proposed cuts and policy changes at the agency that oversees America’s 433 NPS sites. Among its results:
- 69 percent oppose the proposed $1 billion cut in the 2026 NPS budget. The budget cuts would be the largest in the agency’s 109-year history.
- 78 percent believe the NPS should not remove photos, signs or other material that says “real aspects of American history.”
- 60 percent oppose opening up land on or adjacent to national park sites for mining and drilling
- 62 percent opposed the White House’s plan to cut more NPS workers
“Across party lines, Americans reject senseless cuts to budgets and park staff that have left national parks on the brink,” Pierno continued. “Americans want the stories, landscapes, wildlife and history of parks to be preserved. In fact, Americans agree that we need to preserve more of these places, not weaken, dismantle and silence the ones we have.”
The survey is the latest research project showing that US national parks and the NPS continue to enjoy bipartisan support.
D Roper CenterA research and polling firm that began conducting research in the 1930s conducted its first poll on the NPS in 1983, with 77 percent of Americans having a very favorable opinion of the agency. This number rose to 80 percent in 1987. Research firm Pew found that 77 percent of Americans surveyed in 2001 had a favorable view of the agency.
The NPCA conducts its own regular elections around US national parks and the political forces influencing them. A 2010 poll found that 77 percent of Americans supported it Federal Government’s efforts to increase NPS.
recent 43 days of government shutdown—the longest in U.S. history, during which all national parks remained open despite short staffing and funding — exacerbated already existing problems caused by budget cuts and staffing shortages. Many National Park sites were unable to collect visitation fees during the shutdown, and based on the $341 million in fees collected by the NPS in fiscal year 2024, this lapse in fee collection could represent tens of millions in lost funding.
“Park rangers and support staff are the frontline guardians of America’s wildest and most iconic places and protect the history that defines who we are,” added NPCA President Pierno. “Losing one more park worker puts the future of our parks at risk. And Americans overwhelmingly agree they don’t want that.”