During a recent hearing of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), who serves as Ranking Member of the full committee, discussed the economic significance of national parks and criticized a new policy regarding fee-free admission days.
Senator Heinrich emphasized that public lands play a vital role in the U.S. economy. He stated, “Every single day, the public lands recreation economy contributes over $350 million a day to our nation’s economic health. And that’s not a typo. It’s a testament to just how deeply Americans value time outdoors and their nation’s history and how crucial our public lands are to supporting job growth, supporting small businesses, rural communities.”
Heinrich noted that national parks such as Glacier, White Sands, and Acadia attract millions of visitors annually and contribute significantly to local economies across the country. He also highlighted the importance of smaller sites like Petroglyph National Monument and Pecos National Historical Park in New Mexico for preserving history, protecting wildlife, and providing educational opportunities.
The senator raised concerns about recent actions by the Trump Administration affecting the National Park Service (NPS). He pointed out management directives involving budget cuts, staffing reductions, and proposals to divest from hundreds of NPS sites as significant threats to America’s parks.
A particular focus of Heinrich's remarks was on changes to fee-free admission days at national parks. “The Administration recently announced that Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth would no longer be fee-free days on our public lands, despite being federal holidays,” he said. “Instead, Flag Day will be fee-free. And it’s a coincidence, I’m sure, that while Flag Day isn’t a federal holiday, it is the President’s birthday.”
Heinrich concluded his remarks with: “Rest assured folks...when this President is in the past, Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth will not only have fee-free National Park admission, but they will occupy again incredible places of pride in our nation's history.”
The hearing included consideration of 26 pending bills related to national parks.
