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The Independent
15-07-2025
- The Independent
Fire crews along Grand Canyon are trying to save cabins after loss of historic lodge
Crews fighting a wildfire that destroyed the nearly century-old Grand Canyon Lodge and a visitors center were focused Tuesday on stopping the flames from consuming nearby cabins, mule stables and other structures, fire officials said. Firefighters are dealing with a pair of wildfires along the park's less-visited North Rim that together have burned through more than 90 square miles (233 kilometers). That's more than twice the size of the entire Walt Disney World complex in Florida. Each blaze grew overnight into Tuesday, but fire officials expressed optimism that they had slowed the spread of the White Sage Fire, the larger of the two. Tourists standing along the park's popular South Rim on Tuesday could see plumes of smoke rising above the canyon walls and a haze hanging over the sweeping vista. 'By the afternoon, it was completely socked in,' Christi Anderson said of the smoke that had filled the canyon the day before. 'You couldn't see anything, none of that. It was crazy.' Anderson was visiting from California and considered herself lucky because she had shifted her reservation to the South Rim in the preceding days. Otherwise she would have been among those forced to evacuate. The Dragon Bravo Fire, ignited by a lightning strike on July 4, destroyed the lodge and dozens of cabins over the weekend. That fire had been allowed to burn for days before strong winds caused it to erupt, leading to questions about the National Park Service's decision not to aggressively attack the fire right away. Four days into the fire, the Park Service said it was being allowed to burn to benefit the land. Then on Friday, fire officials and the Park Service warned visitors to evacuate immediately as the fire grew by nearly eight times within a day. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has called for a federal investigation into the Park Service's handling of the fire and plans to meet with leaders from the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior, her office said. U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego have asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum how the administration plans to track wildfire decision-making under a recent executive order to consolidate federal firefighting forces into a single program. The Associated Press has left phone and email messages with Park Service officials seeking comment about how the fire was managed. Over the years, managers at the Grand Canyon have successfully used fire to benefit the landscape, with the park having what some experts say is an exemplary fire management program that has tapped both prescribed fire and wildfires to improve forest health. Andi Thode, a professor of fire ecology and management at Northern Arizona University and the lead at the Southwest Fire Science Consortium, said park managers have even re-burned some areas in multiple places over the years to create what she called 'one of the best jigsaw puzzles' on public land. She noted that fire behavior decreased significantly when the Dragon Bravo Fire burned into the footprint of a previously burned area. 'So creating that heterogeneity across the landscape, using fire is a really critical tool moving forward to be able to help in the future with these wildfire events that are happening at the worst time in the worst weather conditions with the driest fuels,' Thode said. Fire officials on Tuesday said the Dragon Bravo Fire had spread to nearly 13 square miles (34 square kilometers) while the larger White Sage Fire had charred 81 square miles (210 square kilometers). Neither blaze had any containment. Park officials have closed access to the North Rim, a more isolated area that draws only about 10% of the Grand Canyon's millions of annual visitors. Hikers in the area were evacuated and rafters on the Colorado River, which snakes through the canyon, were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, an outpost of cabins and dormitories. Trails to the area from the canyon's North and South rims also were closed. The Dragon Bravo Fire flared up Saturday night, fueled by high winds. Firefighters used aerial fire retardant drops near the lodge before they had to pull back because of a chlorine gas leak at a water treatment plant, the park service said. ___ Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Christopher Keller and Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Trump's Fee Hike May Not Solve The Deeper Problems In U.S. National Parks
A woman is taking a photo on the edge of the South Rim, in Grand Canyon National Park. Without waiting for Congress to pass President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' the White House issued two executive orders on July 3. The first, titled 'Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks," raises U.S. national park entrance fees and recreation pass prices for foreign visitors to boost funding. It follows the 2026 budget proposal of the National Park Service (NPS) to introduce a surcharge on foreign visitors, a move NPS expected to raise over $90 million annually. However, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on July 8 made NPS once again vulnerable to widespread staff reductions. It came just months after nearly 1,000 employees were laid off and over 2,400 veteran NPS staffers were offered early retirement or buyout. Since the Trump administration took office, the NPS has lost 24% of its permanent workforce, as reported by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). 'The National Park Service is reeling from historic staffing losses. Nearly a quarter of its permanent staff are gone, and the rest are being stretched to the brink just trying to keep parks open, safe and protected,' said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of NPCA, in a press release. So, how far can new revenue go if parks are losing the people who keep them running? Adding Only Millions, While Billions May Be Slashed From The Budget In the 2026 Budget, NPS requested $2.1 billion, including $99.5 million for construction projects, $12.0 million for activities and $11.0 million for historical preservation. It is a sharp drop from the $3.3 billion provided under the 2025 continuing resolution. Under 'National Recreation and Preservation,' the proposed funding drops from nearly $90 million to just $12 million. It zeroes out entire line items, such as the 'Natural Programs' and the 'Heritage Partnership Programs'. Similarly, the 'Historic Preservation Fund' also sees a sharp decrease from $169 million to $11 million, with the complete elimination of grants for 'African American Civil Rights,' 'History of Equal Rights,' 'Underrepresented Communities' and 'Save America's Treasures.' Can a $90 million boost from tourist fees realistically make up for the $1.2 billion drastic reduction in federal support? When I asked whether the proposed increase in ticket prices would meaningfully improve conditions in the parks in an email interview, Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, was skeptical. 'I don't see it increasing fee revenue enough to make a significant difference,' he said. What Parks Would Gain Or Lose From Each Dollar Charged The executive order does not specify an exact surcharge, but Tate Watkins, managing editor at the Property and Environment Research Center (PELC), estimated that a $25 surcharge per overseas visitor could generate approximately $330 million annually, based on the 14 million foreign visitors who enter U.S. national parks each year. If NPS would like to generate $90 million in additional revenue, it only needs to apply a surcharge of $6.82 per international visitor. Let's take Yellowstone National Park as an example. Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser, in Yellowstone National Park In 2024, Yellowstone welcomed nearly 4.75 million visitors. On average, the park generates $12.1 million yearly in entrance fees. That is an average of only $2.55 per visitor. However, with a vehicle price of $35 and 'unlimited' passengers, most visitors contribute far less than the full price. International tourists account for roughly 15% of visitors, which is approximately 660,000 people in Yellowstone. Applying a $6.82 surcharge, the amount needed systemwide to raise $90 million, would yield an estimated $4.5 million in new revenue for Yellowstone, a 37% increase in park income. A $25 surcharge, as proposed by PERC, would generate over $16 million, more than doubling current revenues. Will Surcharges Scare Foreign Tourists Away? Kevin Jackson, CEO and founder of EXP Journeys, a travel company offering bespoke road trips, guided hikes, private camping, corporate retreats, and family adventures through U.S. national parks, at first welcomed the idea of using higher entrance fees to fund much-needed staffing and infrastructure. "My initial reaction was that the increase in fees would help support additional staff needs for the parks and infrastructure improvements. On the flipside, I am concerned about the reduction in international visitation, as it is already down in 2025," he said in an email interview. It seems research suggests that the potential impact on visitation could be minimal. According to another PERC analysis, a 10% fee increase would reduce overall visitation by just 0.2%. Taking Yellowstone National Park as an example again, the higher $25 surcharge for international visitors might reduce Yellowstone's foreign visitor count by roughly 1,300 people. It seems like a negligible drop in exchange for a multi-million-dollar return. Surcharging Foreigners Sounds Simple Until It Is Not Implementing a surcharge for foreign visitors may seem straightforward, but in practice, it can create significant operational challenges. 'It will be a big headache for fee collectors at national parks to have to determine who might be a nonresident—profiling?—and then have to check passports, etc., often slowing down the entry process to many national parks,' said Wade. A long line of cars creeps slowly to the north Highway 120 entrance of Yosemite National Park. Since July 8, NPS staff now faces a renewed risk of layoffs. With the legal block lifted by the Supreme Court, additional rounds of layoffs may now proceed, raising fresh concerns about operational capacity, staff morale and conservation efforts. Wade highlighted in the email interview deeper structural concerns that the public may not be aware of. 'The loss of professional and specialist positions—archeologists, engineers, curatorial specialists, historians—will significantly affect research, resource protection, facilities, and visitor services, especially in smaller park units that have historically relied on expertise from central offices,' he continued. In response to the Supreme Court ruling, Wade also released the following comment: 'This is an appalling way to treat employees who have dedicated their lives and careers to taking care of the visiting public and protecting the places that the American people have determined to be special. We have never seen Park Services employee morale so low. How can they do their jobs effectively when they are experiencing such terrible treatment and living in constant fear of layoffs?' he said. Fee hikes could help modernize infrastructure and expand access, but critics question whether increased revenue can truly offset the deeper, systemic challenges. Can millions from foreign tourists replace billions in federal cuts? Will visitors notice higher fees as well as fewer rangers, fewer programs and declining conditions? Can U.S. national parks be preserved if those tasked with protecting them are being pushed out?
