NPCA Concerned About "Strain" President's Fourth Of July Celebration Could Have On Park Service

Published Date

June 21, 2019

National Parks Conservation Association staff are concerned that President Trump's Salute to America on the National Mall on the Fourth of July could have a negative impact on the already strained National Park Service.

"We are concerned that this year’s expanded Independence Day celebration on the National Mall by President Trump could put an unexpected and unnecessary strain on the National Park Service’s already limited resources,” said Emily Douce, the park advocacy group's director for operations and park funding.

“The Park Service is already operating on shoestring budgets, and due to years of insufficient budgets, our parks are dealing with $12 billion in needed repairs and too few rangers and other staff to serve visitors," she added. "With just two weeks until the event, it remains unclear as to what Park Service projects, personnel or maintenance funding might be diverted to pay for this unplanned event.”

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Wednesday announced the Fourth of July celebration. It will honor each of the nation’s five service branches with music, military demonstrations, flyovers and much more. Participants include the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the U.S. Army Band (“Pershing’s Own”), the Armed Forces Chorus, the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Team, and many others, the Interior Department announced Wednesday.

President Trump will lead the celebration from the Lincoln Memorial between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

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Comments

Submitted by Lee Dalton on June 22, 2019 - 8:09am.

I don't understand. Will this "celebration" be in addition to the one that has been traditional for many years or will it replace it?

It sounds like it will be just one more of trump's Come Thou and Adore Me rallies trying to keep his fan base riled up.

Submitted by wild places on June 22, 2019 - 9:40am.

NPCA seems more concerned with politics than they do the National Parks.

Submitted by ecbuck on June 22, 2019 - 10:35am.

Unfortunately Wild, TDS extends far beyond the NPCA. Priorities across the board have shifted from getting things done to doing anything they can to thwart/attack Trump. What they were for before they are now against. Anything Trump does that was SOP in the past is now abhorent. Anything he does that is different, despite the positive effects, is even worse.

Submitted by Rick B. on June 22, 2019 - 12:45pm.

Breaking up immigrant families and failing to keep alive children that they take from their parents. Despite the positive effects. I'm not the one myopic.

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