Federal agencies managing public lands have seen broad cuts under the Trump administration. The White House fired 25% of the National Park Service’s workforce last year, and proposed even more funding cuts this spring.
Of the money that’s left, however, the Trump administration has very specific goals in mind: Restoring water fountains in Washington, D.C.
The National Park Service (NPS) has been directed to spend $67 million of funding from park entrance fees to fund beautification projects in the nation’s capital, according to a New York Times analysis of federal records. Much of the money ($60 million) is going to the restoration of nine ornamental foundations in D.C. Another $7 million will fund a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The projects are part of larger efforts by President Trump to remake Washington, D.C., ahead of a July Fourth celebration of the country’s 250th Independence Day. It’s a legal use of the funds. Up to 20% of revenue from park entrance fees can be used to improve sites that don’t collect fees, such as the Lincoln Reflecting Pool or Washington’s National Mall.
But given the broader context of diminished funding for the rest of the nation’s parks, conservation groups criticized using the dwindling pool of public lands money for aesthetic improvements to D.C., rather than the huge backlog of maintenance projects at parks across the country.
White House: ‘We Should Be Grateful’
GearJunkie reached out to the Interior Department, which manages the NPS, to ask if they’re planning to fund other deferred maintenance projects at national parks across the country. The spokesperson blamed Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for the backlog of maintenance projects at national parks.
“The Department has many funding sources available to spend on deferred maintenance,” the spokesperson said. “The Trump administration is looking at different funding mechanisms which include endowment funds and revenue brought in from the sale of park passes.”
In another statement sent to The New York Times, an Interior Department spokesperson said that “we should be grateful” for Trump’s focus on Washington restoration projects.
Advocates for the country’s national parks, however, have a different take. They point to the backlog of maintenance projects across the country, including many of the most popular national parks like Zion and Yosemite. Many of these outstanding repairs, including deteriorating roads and water systems, are projects that would improve visitor safety.
The problem isn’t about the D.C. fountains, said Aaron Weiss, the executive director at the Center for Western Priorities. Those are worthwhile, but not while ignoring dire Park Service needs around the country.
“We know that there are walls crumbling in parks out there,” Weiss told The Hill. “So it’s not that fountains aren’t deserving. But when it’s a true triage situation because Congress has not funded our parks, it’s harder to argue that we should be turning fountains on when there are really severe maintenance needs.”
The New York Times cited many examples of such projects. The crumbling walls at Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park are threatening drivers. Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park has a serious need for employee housing. And Zion National Park has a failing sewer system.
Broader Concerns Over Trump’s ‘Vanity Projects’
The fountains aren’t the only major project happening in D.C. right now. In fact, President Trump has many plans for even more expensive projects — many of them using taxpayer money.
While some local D.C. groups are supportive, some of the projects have received sharp criticism from veterans, parks advocates, and even D.C. locals.
Independence Arch ($100 million): Trump also wants to build a 250-foot-tall arch in front of Arlington National Cemetery. The project could cost as much as $100 million, and is moving forward despite massive opposition. Even a group of Vietnam veterans publicly opposed the proposal, calling it a “vanity project.” Despite a lawsuit to block its construction and concerns about increased traffic from local politicians, surveying of the proposed site has already begun.
National Garden of American Heroes ($40 million): Congress has already approved the initial money for this statue garden, which was approved last year. Plans include 250 life-size statues of figures, including George Washington, Elvis Presley, and Kobe Bryant, as well as an amphitheater, gardens, reflecting pools, and cafés. However, the likely cost of the project continues to grow, according to The New York Times.
White House Ballroom: ($1.4 billion): Despite initial plans to fund Trump’s White House ballroom with $250 million of private donations, Trump has now asked for $1 billion of taxpayer money for the East Wing renovation. Even Republicans are hesitant.
