Trump’s Push To Shrink Government Could Return National Parks To Tribes

[sun rise]

I won't prove anything.
But I've visited dozens of national parks.
Sure, they vary. But you propose doing
what's already done.

I'm proposing nothing. The article listed some possibilities of which I selected a few which I thought could be improved. If you're interested, read the article.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm proposing nothing.

Hmmm....then what use are you, eh.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Raise fees.

Typical response.

 

[Revoltingest]

Typical response.

You'd prefer government subsidy, eh.

 

[Twilight Hue]

You'd prefer government subsidy, eh.

No. Bail outs never work. A manageable economy and cost of living for people does.

 

[Revoltingest]

No. Bail outs never work. A manageable economy and cost of living for people does.

Seems you have no solution to financing
privatized (to Indians) national parks.
That being the case, dissing proposals
by others is pretty useless.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Seems you have no solution to financing
privatized (to Indians) national parks.
That being the case, dissing proposals
by others is pretty useless.

No there are solutions, and I agree with Trump. Drill baby drill. I'm fine giving parks to the indigenous Nations they can charge a fee themselves and keep that money to pay for their nation's needs. How's that for solutions?

More than what you got I would think , or am I wrong on that?

 

[soulsurvivor]

Trump’s Push To Shrink Government Could Return National Parks To Tribes

Fat chance! He will probably sell them off to the highest bidder. Or even more likely sell them off cheaply to his millionaire friends.

Last time around he wanted to raise entrance fees to the parks so that regular people could not afford them.

 

[Revoltingest]

No there are solutions, and I agree with Trump. Drill baby drill.

What does that policy actually mean,
given that USA already produces
much oil?

I'm fine giving parks to the indigenous Nations they can charge a fee themselves and keep that money to pay for their nation's needs. How's that for solutions?

It fails to address how they'll address the
problem of fees not covering costs.

More than what you got I would think , or am I wrong on that?

You're wrong.

 

[F1fan]

Bureaucracy is eliminated which will be part of the solution. And Federal moneys would be transitional.

But will it? It's a massive job, but poor Native American tribes are going to take over and not screw it up?

I see it as a way for the federal government to surrender authority, and big business will exploit the resources. What will tribes be able to do?

 

[sun rise]

But will it? It's a massive job, but poor Native American tribes are going to take over and not screw it up?

I see it as a way for the federal government to surrender authority, and big business will exploit the resources. What will tribes be able to do?

If you look at who now does tours etc, it's businesses. Personally I agree with @Twilight Hue on this. From my lefty perspective, it's land we stole from the Native Americans and that treaty breaking is our national shame. Besides which, thinking of them as poor, naive savages that have to be protected against possibly doing something stupid is the wrong approach. There maybe some things we want to guard against like selling a national park to the highest bidder, but with very broad criteria let them have at it. I'll bet they do a lot better than some assume.

 

[BrightShadow]

This is a very interesting idea if done properly (aye, there's the rub)

Trump’s Push To Shrink Government Could Return National Parks To Tribes​

For decades, America’s National Parks have been celebrated as “America’s best idea.” But this celebration often overlooks that their creation came at an unjust cost. When Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872—the first of its kind—it displaced the Crow, Shoshone, and other Indigenous nations who had lived healthy lives stewarding the land for thousands of years. This pattern was repeated across the country, excluding and displacing Indigenous Peoples to reservations, which today represent some of the poorest regions in the entire Western Hemisphere.​

​

As President Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress focus on scaling back government to reduce federal spending, a unique opportunity emerges. By transferring National Parks back to Tribal Governments, we can address a historic injustice in a way that aligns with conservative principles of market-driven solutions and limited government.​

...​

Making this vision a reality would require careful planning and multiple pathways are available to achieve it. For example, Congress could authorize the transfer of select pilot parks to Tribes with ancestral ties to the land, supported by a multi-year transition period. Federal agencies would provide technical training and funding for infrastructure upgrades during this time, ensuring a seamless handoff. Over time, as parks become self-sustaining, federal financial involvement would diminish. This would free up resources for other national priorities while empowering Tribes to lead their own futures together.​

​

This proposal isn’t just about fixing National Parks, it’s about restoring dignity and opportunity. It’s about addressing a historic wrong in a way that benefits everyone: taxpayers, tourists, Indigenous Peoples and the environment alike. In a time of political division, this initiative offers rare common ground. Conservatives can champion it as a fiscally responsible way to reduce government spending and promote local control. Progressives can celebrate it as a landmark act of land restitution and environmental justice. Indigenous leaders can see it as a pathway to sovereignty and economic independence.​

Not gonna happen.
Building sand castles in the air - are we?
Throw it out of you heads.
If this is allowed - what is next? Reparations for slavery and compensation to the descendants of enslaved people? Quite a few of them are millionaires now and no one from the current era suffered any personal damages at all. They all have had equal opportunities for the entire duration of their lives. They led a healthy free lives.

So unless you can dig people out of their graves - resurrect them - then you may compensate them - but keep the descendants out of the list from getting any new compensations.
My personal opinion is - they have already been compensated.
Don't open any new pandoras box.
National parks would and should remain under federal jurisdiction and remain federal property.
That is my opinion.

 

[F1fan]

If you look at who now does tours etc, it's businesses.

So are they going to close if Native American tribes take over?

Personally I agree with @Twilight Hue on this. From my lefty perspective, it's land we stole from the Native Americans and that treaty breaking is our national shame. Besides which, thinking of them as poor, naive savages that have to be protected against possibly doing something stupid is the wrong approach. There maybe some things we want to guard against like selling a national park to the highest bidder, but with very broad criteria let them have at it. I'll bet they do a lot better than some assume.

How much is the USA going to save? And what ensures the protection of these areas? Something seems fishy about this. I keep thinking of businesses that want access to parks to drill and mine.