Every four years brings the possibility of change in how the National Park Service and the world's greatest collection of national parks are managed. At the National Parks Traveler, we work to ensure you're aware of changes that could impact the parks and your enjoyment of them.

• Will Park Service funding and staffing increase or decrease, will there be changes in how the parks are managed, will activities on neighboring lands or changes in environmental policies affect the parks?
• What about wildlife? The Endangered Species Act has prevented hundreds of species from going extinct, so how it is managed is key to the survival of biodiversity. So, too, is the protection of wild places and habitats.
• More potent hurricanes, more intense wildfires, and longer droughts pose threats to the National Park System. When they hit, you need to know how quickly the parks can rebound. 

Beyond those questions, each administration makes its own impact on the parks and the environment. The Biden administration worked to strengthen tribal relationships, the first Trump administration relaxed ESA regulations and but also established Camp Nelson National Monument. President Obama both established a number of national monuments and allowed solar energy platforms to be built uncomfortably close to national parks, while President George W. Bush opened hundreds of thousands of acres in the West to energy development but also created Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the largest no-take marine reserve in the United States.

Congress, of course, decides how much money the Park Service will receive to manage the parks.

For nearly two decades, the Traveler has served as the only news organization focused solely on covering national parks and protected areas. We believe you have a right to understand how the national parks — often credited as America’s greatest idea — operate and are managed. 

We keep you informed on government policy, congressional funding, scientific and investigative topics, climate change, and human interest features. We write about issues involving or impacting threatened and endangered species, oil and mineral exploration around treasured lands, and the interface between natural resource conservation and the need for public access and commercial and economic viability.

We’re not afraid to have uncomfortable conversations or cover controversial topics, such as mismanagement by the Park Service, lack of diversity both in park visitation and Park Service staff, and equitable access to the National Park System. 

At the Traveler, we endeavor to provide this news coverage at no cost to readers and listeners. After all, paywalls don’t help with equitable access to information — and the public lands belong to everyone. The small, far-flung team that I rely upon perseveres to keep you, the owners of the national parks, informed on how those wondrous places are managed and point out how you can get the most out of your visits to them.

That said, there are costs to produce this coverage. Your support can help ensure that it continues. And if you contribute between now and December 31, your donation up to $1,000 will be matched dollar for dollar thanks to the national NewsMatch campaign to raise charitable dollars for nonprofit news organizations.