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The Guardian
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
US night-sky agency threatened by Trump administration funding cuts
The Trump administration appears poised to cut the US Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD), a little-known office that works to rein in noise and light pollution in national parks, a task that is seen as a vital environmental endeavor. Advocates say the division's work is quiet but important – many plants and animals rely on the darkness, and light pollution is contributing to firefly and other insect die-offs. The office led efforts to reduce light pollution at the Grand Canyon and snowmobile noise that drowned out sounds emanating from the Old Faithful geyser, among other initiatives. 'They're a small but mighty program,' said Kristen Brengel, vice-president of government affairs for the National Park Conservation Association, which advocates for the national park system. 'When you think about it, the national parks are a full sensory experience … and there are scientists behind the scenes who are making sure that you have that world-class experience,' Brengel added. The office is an example of what would be lost if the Trump administration is successful in implementing deep cuts to the US National Park Service, shifting its focus from enhancing and preserving parks to simply managing visitors. The agency's stewardship budget, which funds the NSNSD's office of about 10 employees, is facing a proposed reduction from about $375m to $185m, and advocates say the office is almost certainly threatened. The National Park Service's Fort Collins, Colorado, office, out of which the NSNSD operates, was initially targeted by Elon Musk's 'department of government efficiency' for closure. Court battles have tied up the Trump administration's reduction-in-force (RIF) proposals, for now putting its National Park Service plans on hold. 'Our concern is that this little-known division will be decimated amid the cuts because its work is underappreciated,' said Ruskin Hartley, CEO of DarkSky International, which shares data with the NSNSD and has a similar mission. The NSNSD and the National Park Service did not respond to requests for comment. The NSNSD was established in 2000 with an aim to 'protect, maintain, and restore acoustical and dark night sky environments' throughout the park system. In practice, that's meant a combination of improving lighting in public parks, preserving darkness for wildlife, performing research and promoting dark sky tourism, which is booming, Hartley said. Light pollution is increasing globally at about 10% annually, and around 60% of all known species are nocturnal and rely on the darkness, DarkSky estimates. Light pollution is particularly hard on migratory birds that rely on the moon and stars to navigate, and are drawn to bright light sources, and the light can also disrupt plants' photosynthesis process. The NSNSD in recent decades helped lead projects that aimed to improve lighting at many of the nation's 430 parks, seashores and sites. It retrofitted 5,000 lights in the Grand Canyon national park with lower-watt LEDs that reduced spillage into the sky, and which turned the area into a certified dark sky park. It also adjusted the lighting at the Mt Rushmore national park to reduce spillover, and improved lighting at the Gateway Arch in St Louis. The latter's lights are now turned off during periods of heavy bird traffic in migratory season. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion The NSNSD also aims to ensure people can see the stars. For its purposes and those of DarkSky International, the definition of a 'dark sky' is anywhere in which one can view the Milky Way, Hartley said. About 83% of the US population lives in an area where they cannot. 'You want to have lighting that protects and respects the natural darkness in those parks,' Hartley said. The NSNSD has also 'pioneered' ways to measure, assess, and track changes in natural darkness over time, and it publishes papers on night sky quality, Hartley said. The NSNSD's sounds department helped resolve a 2013 controversy over snowmobiles at Yellowstone. Dozens of extremely loud two-stroke snowmobiles that would gather daily at the Old Faithful geyser were drowning out its sounds, scaring bison and generally degrading the experience, Brengel said. Employees from the NSNSD measured the noise, determined the level at which natural sounds could be heard and wildlife would be less scared. It helped develop rules that required quieter four-stroke snowmobile engines, and limited their numbers to 10 at a time. The effort was seen as a happy compromise, Brengel said. 'They figure out ways to maximize natural sounds while still getting people out in the parks,' Brengel said. 'It's an innovative program that ensures the visitor experience stays intact.' The fight over reduction-in-force proposals in court is important to the NSNSD's survival, Brengel said, but her group is also alerting members of Congress to what the park service cuts would mean. Should the cuts go through, the park service would become a 'visitors' service agency', Brengel added, and would be unable to protect cultural and natural resources, as is statutorily mandated. 'We would sue,' Brengel said.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Yosemite National Park Finally Announces Reservation System
Andrew S)"> After months of confusion and delay, Yosemite National Park has announced its reservation rules for the summer of 2025. On May 6, people can book their reservations through the National Park Service's website starting at 8 a.m. Pacific Time. While the new system is significantly less restrictive than previous years, some advocates argue that it won't prevent traffic from overwhelming the park. Reservation requirements for 2025 start on Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-26) for anyone driving into or through Yosemite between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. After that, people will only need reservations if they visit from June 15 to August 15 and from August 30 to Labor Day (September 1). 'This system ensures all visitors, whether they plan in advance or decide last minute, can experience the park each day,' Yosemite National Park officials wrote on the website. 'It also spreads visitation across the day so that visitors have a better experience.' This new system replaces a previous 2025 visitation plan that would have required reservations every day from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with weekend-only reservations in April, May, September, and October. According to Mark Rose, the Sierra Nevada program manager for the National Park Conservation Association (NPCA), that was the preferred system among Yosemite park officials. 'If the administration truly cared about the visitor experience at Yosemite this summer, it would have allowed park leaders to move forward months ago with its preferred reservation system, which was refined over the past several years, and led by data, deep community engagement, and commonsense,' Rose said in a statement. On the morning of May 6, reservations for all dates will be released on the National Park website. Additional dates will be posted 7 days ahead of the arrival date. Reservations will be available for purchase every day at 8 a.m. There is a $2 reservation fee that does not include the $35-per-car Yosemite National Park entrance fee. Be sure to have an account on set up before logging onto the site to book your dates. 'Reservations sell out almost immediately,' NPS warns. 'Even if you're logged on by 8 a.m., there is no guarantee you will be able to get a reservation.' Anyone with a Half Dome or wilderness permit, reservations for in-park camping or lodging, or who accesses the park using a regional transit or tour bus is exempt from the 2025 reservation requirements. To visit without a permit, simply enter the park before 6 a.m. or after 2 p.m. You can also visit Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy area without a reservation during daylight hours. Generally, Yosemite National Park announces its reservation system months before summer. However, in February, it suspended reservations at five of its largest campsites due to understaffing. It announced that it was waiting for a 'blessing' from the new administration to move forward with its plans for summer reservations, The LA Times reported. According to the NPCA, visitation at Yosemite has exploded in the last 20 years, soaring by 30% between 2020 and 2019. The crowds caused congestion and gridlock throughout the park, so reservation systems were piloted starting in 2020. Since then, the program has been refined, streamlined, and adapted. NPCA said this new 2025 reservation system is 'insufficient to protect the park.' 'It's clear that when implemented thoughtfully, reservations significantly improve the visitor experience while protecting Yosemite's invaluable resources,' Rose said. 'Last year, over 4 million people visited the park with a more expansive reservation system in place. Smart planning doesn't mean fewer people, just a better experience for all.' Whether this new reservation system will result in more crowds and negatively affect visitor experiences remains unknown. However, with fewer resources and continued staffing shortages, increased visitation could cause problems. 'Attacks on park staffing aren't just about the numbers; they directly impact visitors, local communities, and the landscapes we cherish,' Rose said. Hanging Lake Trail Finally Reopens: Book Your Summer Hike Now
