New Mexico could lose $177 million under trump plan to transfer national parks to states

Sen. Heinrich warns proposal would devastate rural economies, cut jobs, and reduce public access
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Courtesy of nm.news

New Mexico stands to lose at least $177 million in economic output under the Trump Administration's plan to transfer national park units, like White Sands, to state control. (National Park Service)

New Mexico stands to lose at least $177 million in economic output under the Trump Administration’s plan to transfer national park units to state control, according to a new report that has prompted sharp criticism from the state’s senior senator.

​U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, blasted the proposal during a July 16 press call, calling it a radical plan that would “devastate local economies, overwhelm state budgets and dismantle the systems that keep public lands running.”

The warning comes as national park tourism provides significant economic benefits to New Mexico. In 2023, visitors made 2.3 million trips to New Mexico’s national park sites, spending nearly $150 million that supported over 1,800 jobs and provided $55 million in labor income statewide, according to Heinrich’s office, citing National Park Service data.

“By transferring ‘sort of small parks’ to the states, the Trump Administration and its supporters aren’t giving states more power or saving taxpayer money,” Heinrich said in the press call. “They’ll be cutting off your access to public lands and devastating state economies in the process.”

The Trump Administration’s budget proposal calls for the National Park Service to “transfer certain properties to state-level management,” according to the White House Office of Management and Budget. The administration says there is “an urgent need to streamline staffing and transfer certain properties to state-level management to ensure the long-term health and sustainment of the National Park system.”

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has clarified that none of the nation’s 63 “crown jewel” national parks would be transferred to states, telling lawmakers the sites under consideration are mostly “historic sites, cultural sites that have low visitation that might better fit into a state, historic society site or some other designation.”

The administration’s broader budget proposal includes more than $900 million in cuts to National Park Service operations, which the National Parks Conservation Association estimates would essentially end funding for 350 national parks, or 75 percent of the sites managed by the Park Service.

Heinrich argued that transferring parks to states would create a downward spiral for tourism and local economies. States have smaller budgets than the federal government, he said, which would force higher entrance fees that reduce visitor numbers and fee revenue.

“When national park units are transferred to states, all of that is put at risk,” Heinrich said. “States have smaller budgets, so entrance fees would have to be higher. When fees are higher, visitor numbers go down and people don’t visit those places that aren’t theirs.”

The economic stakes are significant in New Mexico, where individual parks generate substantial local revenue. White Sands National Park alone attracted 729,096 visitors in 2023 who spent $44.5 million in nearby communities, supporting 595 local jobs with a cumulative economic benefit of $53.4 million, according to National Park Service data. Carlsbad Caverns contributed $31.9 million to the local economy.

For New Mexico, Heinrich noted, the $230 million backlog in national park maintenance would represent over 2 percent of the state budget if transferred to state control, not counting additional costs for full park operations.

Heinrich’s criticism comes after a previous public lands controversy. He referenced how Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, “was forced to remove public lands sales from the Big, Bad Bill” due to public opposition across the political spectrum, referring to reconciliation legislation earlier this month.

“Two weeks ago, we came together, across the political spectrum, to stop the sale of our public lands,” Heinrich said. “And today we’re here to say: Not one acre and not on our watch.”

The Climate Power report Heinrich cited, titled “The High Cost of a Park Giveaway: Trump’s Plan to Offload National Parks,” was released by the research and communications organization on July 16. Climate Power Executive Director Lori Lodes joined Heinrich on the press call.

Heinrich warned that the proposal “proves once again that Donald Trump and his cronies are willing to take away access to national park sites, devastate local economies, threaten your families’ safety, and kill public service jobs, all to enrich their billionaire friends.”

The Trump Administration has already implemented significant changes to the National Park Service, including firing approximately 1,000 newly hired employees as part of broader efforts to downsize government, according to Democratic lawmakers. The administration has also imposed hiring freezes and raised entrance fees for foreign tourists at national parks.