Grand Canyon support surged after Trump's park cuts
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Threatened cuts to Grand Canyon and other National Parks prompted more American support for public lands, Grand Canyon Conservancy CEO Elizabeth Silkes said. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
National parks have been pulled into a federal political squabble — but the controversy has only made Americans' appreciation for public lands more apparent, Grand Canyon Conservancy CEO Elizabeth Silkes tells Axios.
Why it matters: Arizona is home to 25 national parks, monuments, recreation areas and historic sites — generating nearly $2 billion for the state's economy annually.
- Most notably, Grand Canyon National Park — one of the "seven natural wonders of the world" — attracts nearly 5 million visitors annually and is a major point of pride for the state.
The big picture: National parks were one of President Trump's first targets in his mission to cut federal government spending.
- At least 750 park employees were fired in February, including about 50 in Arizona — though many have been reinstated.
- The Trump administration also announced plans to terminate nearly three dozen National Park Service leases in the next two years, including a Flagstaff headquarters building that oversees multiple nearby parks, such as Sunset Crater and Walnut Canyon.
Zoom in: Silkes, who started with Grand Canyon Conservancy in early February, told us she's seen an overwhelmingly positive response from people who were called to action by the Trump administration's attempts to cut staffing and services.
- She said many newly involved conservancy supporters said they were inspired to contact elected officials, volunteer and donate to ensure Arizona's most famous park remained funded and protected.
What they're saying: "I think this is a moment where many of us across the country are really thinking anew about the role we have as individuals and collectively in protecting spaces that really matter to us," she said.
How it works: The conservancy supplements Grand Canyon's federal funding to improve trails, preserve historic structures, support scientific research, host educational programs and more.
Between the lines: National parks are immensely popular across the political spectrum. A record 332 million people visited a national park last year.
The bottom line: Conservationist and author Wallace Stegner famously called national parks America's "best idea," but Silkes pointed to the often-forgotten second half of his quote: "They reflect us at our best rather than our worst."
- She said she hopes the "communal awe" many of us feel when visiting the Grand Canyon can serve as a reminder to Americans that we're not as divided as we may seem.
- "If we can start with a shared experience of love of our parks and Grand Canyon, then perhaps we can come up with new ways to appreciate differing perspectives," Silkes told us.