Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks

Executive Order Number: 14314
President: Donald Trump
Signed: July 3, 2025
Published: July 9, 2025
Source: Federal Register
Original Document: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-07-09/pdf/2025-12775.pdf

AI-Generated Summary

Summary of Executive Order on National Parks Policy (July 3, 2025)

Purpose

The purpose of this executive order is to preserve and enhance the experience of American families in national parks by increasing revenue through higher fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for U.S. residents, and expanding access to and enjoyment of federal recreational areas. The order aims to balance infrastructure improvements with increased visitor capacity while prioritizing American residents.

Key Actions or Directives

Fee Increases for Nonresidents: The Secretary of the Interior is directed to develop a strategy to increase entrance fees and recreation pass fees (including the America the Beautiful Pass) for nonresidents at National Park System areas, in accordance with 16 U.S.C. 6801.
Use of Increased Revenue: Revenue from fee increases must be used to improve infrastructure and enhance access to and enjoyment of federal recreational areas, per 16 U.S.C. 6807.
Affordability for U.S. Residents: The Secretary of the Interior, in collaboration with the Secretary of Agriculture, must take steps to improve services and affordability for U.S. residents visiting national parks.
Encouraging International Tourism: The Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretary of State, is tasked with promoting international tourism to national parks, particularly to underutilized areas.
Addressing Maintenance Backlog: The Secretary of the Interior must review the National Park Service maintenance backlog, fully implement the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (established by the Great American Outdoors Act, Public Law 116-152), and invest in infrastructure to increase visitor capacity.
Review of Access Rules: The Secretary of the Interior is directed to review and rescind Department of the Interior rules that unnecessarily restrict recreation in national parks, with a focus on rules from the prior administration, and to grant preferential treatment to U.S. residents in remaining access rules (e.g., permitting or lottery systems), consistent with applicable law.
Revocation of Prior Policy: The Presidential Memorandum of January 12, 2017, titled "Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Our National Parks, National Forests, and Other Public Lands and Waters," is revoked.

Significant Changes to Policy or Law

Differential Pricing: Introduces a policy of charging higher fees to nonresidents for entrance and recreation passes, creating a two-tiered pricing system based on residency.
Prioritization of U.S. Residents: Explicitly prioritizes American residents in terms of affordability, access, and preferential treatment in recreational rules, marking a shift toward resident-focused policies.
Revocation of Diversity and Inclusion Memorandum: Repeals a prior administration’s policy on diversity and inclusion in public lands, potentially altering the focus of National Park Service management away from those priorities.

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: The Department of the Interior and the National Park Service will need to adjust fee structures, revise access policies, and allocate increased revenue toward infrastructure and capacity improvements. Collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of State will be necessary for certain directives.
Citizens: U.S. residents may benefit from improved affordability and preferential access to national parks, potentially increasing domestic visitation. However, changes to access rules could limit certain recreational opportunities if not balanced with capacity expansions.
International Relations: Higher fees for nonresidents could discourage foreign tourism, though efforts to promote international visitation may mitigate this. The policy could strain relations with countries whose citizens frequently visit U.S. national parks if perceived as discriminatory.

Main Stakeholders Affected

U.S. Residents: Directly benefit from affordability measures and preferential treatment in access and fees.
Foreign Tourists: Face increased costs for visiting national parks, which may affect their travel decisions.
National Park Service and Department of the Interior: Responsible for implementing fee changes, infrastructure improvements, and policy reviews.
Tourism Industry: Businesses reliant on international visitors to national parks may experience reduced revenue due to higher fees for nonresidents.
Environmental and Recreational Advocacy Groups: May have concerns or support for changes in access rules and infrastructure investments, depending on how these align with conservation and public use priorities.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Legal: The order emphasizes implementation "consistent with applicable law," indicating potential constraints under statutes like 16 U.S.C. 6801-6807 (Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act). Differential pricing based on residency could face legal challenges if deemed discriminatory or inconsistent with federal authority over public lands. The revocation of the 2017 memorandum may also prompt litigation from advocacy groups if it is seen as undermining diversity or inclusion mandates.
Constitutional: While the order falls within the President’s authority over executive agencies under Article II, preferential treatment for U.S. residents could raise questions about equal protection principles under the Fifth Amendment, particularly if applied inconsistently or challenged by nonresidents with legal standing.
Political: The policy of prioritizing U.S. residents and increasing fees for foreign tourists may be politically divisive, appealing to domestic constituencies while risking criticism for appearing exclusionary. The revocation of a prior administration’s diversity-focused memorandum could intensify partisan debates over public land management and cultural priorities in national parks.

This summary reflects the content of the executive order as presented, maintaining neutrality and focusing on the document’s explicit directives and implications.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.