FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Allison, Executive Director, mark@nmwild.org, 505-239-0906
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (December 18, 2025) — Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has introduced an amendment to the Interior appropriations bill that would pave the way for the Trump administration to sell off national parks to the highest bidder.
The Interior appropriations bill, as currently written, would prevent the Interior department from disposing of national park units—a provision introduced in response to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s suggestion that the Park Service does not need many smaller sites currently owned by all Americans. The president’s 2026 budget proposal only contained funding for a fraction of the national park system and could have led to the elimination of more than 300 national park units, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.
If passed, Lee’s amendment would send a message to the White House that downsizing America’s national park system is acceptable. It would also strike section 130 in S.2431, the Interior appropriations bill. This section requires the Interior Department to maintain ownership and operation of all existing National Park Service units, national historic trails, and wild and scenic rivers. Striking it would therefore create a legal authority for the sale of these national treasures.
New Mexico is home to more than a dozen National Park Service units, including Carlsbad Caverns National Park, White Sands National Park, Bandelier National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and Valles Caldera National Preserve. These sites draw millions of visitors each year, support thousands of local jobs, and protect landscapes and cultural heritage found nowhere else on Earth.
New Mexico Wild released the following statement from Executive Director Mark Allison:
“Senator Lee’s amendment is a gift to corporate interests and a lump of coal for every American who treasures our national parks. Just days before Christmas, he’s at it again, trying to make it easier for this administration to sell off the places that belong to all of us.
“New Mexicans know what’s at stake. Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, Chaco Canyon, Bandelier—these aren’t cost centers on a spreadsheet. They’re sacred landscapes, irreplaceable history, and economic engines for our rural communities. They belong to our children and grandchildren, not the highest bidder.
We urge every Senator to reject this reckless amendment and stand with the American people who overwhelmingly support protecting our public lands.”
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