Trump Administration Diverts $90 Million in Park Fees for America 250 and $76 Million Monument Repairs
Updated
Updated · The New Republic · Jun 3
Trump Administration Diverts $90 Million in Park Fees for America 250 and $76 Million Monument Repairs
3 articles · Updated · The New Republic · Jun 3
Summary
$90 million in National Park Service funds and entry fees from parks including Yellowstone and Yosemite are being redirected to America 250 projects and Washington monument work, according to internal agency documents.
The spending includes a $1.6 million fireworks show and $76 million for repairs including the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, pulling money from a park system already facing a $24 billion deferred-maintenance backlog.
The new documents also show the Reflecting Pool project far outgrowing earlier estimates: Trump had cited about $1.8 million, the Interior Department later awarded a $13.1 million contract, and the latest total now stands at $76 million.
The diversion adds to scrutiny of Trump-backed projects whose costs have climbed sharply, including a proposed 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom that rose from a promised $200 million privately funded plan to $400 million, with Republicans later seeking $1 billion for security.