Our national parks are under attack
Oregonians know the awe and peace that come from standing in a forest older than our country, walking along a rugged coastline, or peering into the deep, still waters of a lake in a volcanic caldera. Our national parks are part of who we are — and they're under serious threat.
The Trump administration's proposal to slash the National Park Service budget by $900 million — nearly 30% — would devastate parks across the nation. But the impact here at home in Oregon would be especially cruel.
Take Crater Lake National Park, Oregon's only full-fledged national park. It's a natural wonder, a place of deep cultural meaning and breathtaking beauty. In 2024, over 500,000 visitors visited to connect with nature and marvel at the deepest lake in the U.S., supporting local businesses in southern Oregon and generating over $80 million in economic output.
Make no mistake: budget cuts mean reduced staffing, fewer ranger and family programs, closed facilities, trails, and campgrounds, and the end of critical wildfire prevention work — in a region already hit hard by climate chaos.
But the threat doesn't stop there.
From Southern Oregon's Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument to the windswept headlands of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park on the Oregon coast, these landscapes tell the story of the state's's geology, history, and biodiversity. Under Trump, the future of these iconic places is on the chopping block.
That's why I joined 21 of my Senate colleagues to demand an end to this administration's hiring freeze and urge Trump's Department of the Interior to stop sabotaging the work of the Park Service. If these cuts move forward, the damage to ecosystems, local economies, and our identity as a state deeply connected to the land would be irreversible.
Onward!
Jeff
