A Radical Idea, Born of Conviction
When Congress created Yellowstone in 1872, it wasn’t because lawmakers felt generous; it was because a few visionaries refused to let a geologic wonder become just another railroad asset or mining claim. From Stephen Mather’s high-pressure lobbying for a dedicated National Park Service in 1916 to the New Deal expansion of park infrastructure, progress came only when citizens battled powerful commercial interests and forced Congress to act.
Watchdogs, Not Wallflowers
Recognizing that parks would always need outside muscle, advocates founded the National Parks Conservation Association in 1919. For decades NPCA—and later groups like the Wilderness Society—were relentless watchdogs: testifying on Capitol Hill, suing when needed, and calling out bad policy by name. They proved that vigilance, not politeness, is what keeps public land public.
From Advocacy to “Friendship”
Beginning in the 1980s, a new wave of “friends groups” cropped up to support individual parks. Their volunteer projects, donor drives, and youth programs are invaluable, but by design, they shy away from controversy. Cozy relationships with gate-keeper superintendents make it hard for many to challenge systemic threats like underfunding, inappropriate uses, or protection rollbacks. Over time, even some national organizations softened their bark, trusting the long-held belief that parks will be forever protected by their rock-solid, bipartisan love.
The Myth that "Bipartisan Support" will protect our parks Is Collapsing
Today, that faith looks naïve. The President, as well as a vocal bloc in Congress openly question park protections and in some cases whether the federal government should manage land at all. They float proposals to sell off parcels or dispose of park holdings, peel back monument designations, and slash Park Service budgets. Social-media soundbites about “land grabs” and “elite playgrounds” attract quick partisan clicks while park roads crumble and iconic species teeter.
Partisan primaries are pouring gasoline on this fire
Gerrymandered districts and hyper-polarized media reward candidates who treat compromise as betrayal. Lawmakers now fear a primary from the extreme wing of their own party far more than a November loss, so reaching across the aisle—even on once-sacred ground like protecting national parks—has become politically toxic. Goodwill is melting faster than a receding Glacier in the face of climate change, at least for the foreseeable future. The notion of “automatic” bipartisan support among lawmakers for conservation is likely a relic. Until the election incentives change, defending public lands rests squarely on engaged citizens willing to make noise and apply pressure.
Why This Fight Matters for Democracy
National parks are more than postcard scenery; they are physical proof of a democratic promise—that certain treasures belong to everyone, regardless of wealth or zip code. Hand federal stewardship over to the highest bidder, and that promise evaporates. Public lands would be diced into high-priced subdivisions, fee-for-entry fiefdoms, or resource extraction zones, decided not by public interest but by who can buy a plot or lobby a legislature.
Disposing of the public domain also erodes civic faith. If our government can’t even safeguard the vistas etched onto our license plates—Yosemite’s granite face, the Everglades’ slow river of grass—why trust it to protect voting rights, drinking water, or a livable climate? Defending parks is defending the idea that, in a democratic republic, people can come together through their governmental institutions to solve big problems and make our collective lives better.
And make no mistake: this fight is not a spectator sport. Defending national parks—like defending our democracy—requires constant effort, continually applied. It means showing up, speaking out, and staying engaged even when the headlines are bleak. Thomas Jefferson is often quoted as saying, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” That vigilance must now be applied with full force.
Our Gettysburg Moment
While we are not embroiled in a Civil War, we are undeniably living through a constitutional crisis that threatens our republic's foundations just as surely as any cannon fire once did. The Trump administration’s efforts to undermine national parks, weaken federal oversight, and erode democratic norms are part of a broader assault on the common good. And yet, just as President Abraham Lincoln reminded Americans at Gettysburg, even in terrible moments, there is opportunity. The Civil War, he said, offered the chance for “a new birth of freedom.”
So does this moment.
Our generation has been handed the rare, sobering task of recommitting ourselves and our country to its highest ideals: protecting its natural treasures, cultural heritage, and democratic values. If we rise to meet it—if we defend our public lands and republic through the democratic process—future generations will look back on us with pride. Just as we honor the bravery of those who preserved the Union, so too may future generations honor our current effort to protect our parks and democracy.
How to Be an Effective Park Defender
Defending national parks means more than loving them—it means showing up in the political arena where real decisions are made. That starts with writing your members of Congress, especially those who sit on key committees like the House Natural Resources Committee or the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which oversee park policy and funding. Don’t settle for form letters—demand specific action on legislation, appropriations, and agency oversight. Support organizations with the backbone to sue when laws are violated—groups like NPCA, Earthjustice, the Mountain Pact, or the Center for Biological Diversity. Amplify your voice by submitting letters to your local paper's editor or opinion pieces to build public awareness and pressure. Attend town halls, ask pointed questions, and bring park issues into broader conversations about democracy, climate, and public access. Democracy is a contact sport, and national parks depend on people willing to step onto the field.
Time to Choose: Be a Defender
History tells us parks survive when people raise a ruckus—writing op-eds, packing hearing rooms, funding watchdog litigation, and yes, voting. Polite applause from the sidelines won’t stop appropriations riders or back-door land transfers. So volunteer with your local friends group and demand that these groups speak loudly when our parks and democracy are threatened. Call your representatives, show up at town halls, support litigation when necessary, and refuse to let “federal overreach” become a euphemism for selling off your birthright.
Our national parks and country don’t need more "friends." They need defenders. The question is whether we’re willing to become them—before the next vote, the next budget, and the next landscape slip permanently out of public hands.
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