News Release

President Proposes $3.57 Billion National Park Service Budget in FY 2025

A field of flowers at Grand Teton National Park.

NPS/David Restivo

News Release Date: March 11, 2024

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WASHINGTON — The Biden-Harris administration submitted to Congress today the President's National Park Service (NPS) budget proposal for fiscal year 2025. The $3.57 billion budget request balances investments in key priorities with necessary funding for day-to-day operation of the National Park System, while maintaining fiscal responsibility and adhering to tight budget constraints.  

“This request speaks to the heart of what the National Park Service does every day, ensuring Americans and visitors from around the world are able to benefit from the resources we protect while working within the budget constraints we face today,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said. “The budget addresses critical challenges like supporting a strong workforce; strengthening climate resilience in parks and communities; sharing the complete story of America; and ensuring access to parks for generations to come.” 

The budget proposal supports fundamental operational needs at all parks, rivers, and trails and addresses staffing needs for new responsibilities. Modest, targeted funding increases in the FY 2025 budget request provide for Federal employee pay requirements, and critical capacity and support for law enforcement. It also supports increased funding for regular cyclic maintenance, essential in preventing future, more expensive, deferred maintenance costs. Critically, the proposal invests more than $100 million in housing needs for NPS employees across multiple fund sources. Housing for employees in and near national parks is increasingly scarce and expensive, reflecting a trend impacting communities across the country, creating long commutes and making it difficult for NPS to recruit and retain employees. The proposed budget also invests in essential information technology systems. 

The NPS not only serves a vital role safeguarding irreplaceable natural wonders and connecting Americans to our past and each other but is also a critical driver of economic activity for small businesses and communities across the nation. The National Park Service welcomed 325.5 million visitors in 2023. In 2022, visitors spent $23.9 billion in local park gateway areas. The FY 2025 budget also allocates funding for transformative infrastructure investments under the Great American Outdoors Act, which authorized up to $6.65 billion for the NPS over five years to address crucial and long needed maintenance backlog and repair projects in national parks.  

Notable investments in the FY 2025 budget request for the National Park Service: 

• More than $100 million in housing needs for NPS employees across multiple fund sources  
• Continued start-up costs for parks recently added to the National Park System, like Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Historic Site, Blackwell School National Historic Site, New Philadelphia National Historic Site, the Summerton Site expansion at Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park, and Amache National Historic Site 
• Implementing important new requirements of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act  
• Funding for cyclic maintenance to prevent future deferred maintenance 
• Supporting youth corps programs that create enriching jobs for young people 
• Assessing climate change vulnerabilities so the national parks and their supporting infrastructure can adapt 

Take a Look Inside the Numbers (by appropriation) 

Operation of the National Park System – This is the primary operations funding for the National Park Service and the 2025 budget includes $3.09 billion broken out as follows: 

• $431.0 million for resource stewardship 
• $299.5 million for visitor services 
• $456.6 million for park protection 
• $974.0 million for facility operations and maintenance 
• $709.7 million for park support 
• $219.5 million for external administrative costs 

Construction – Funds construction projects, equipment replacement, and management and the 2025 budget includes $237.2 million broken out as follows:  

• $124.7 million for line-item construction 
• $41.9 million for special programs, including $16.9 million for housing improvement 
• $15.2 million for construction planning 
• $37.7 million for construction management and operations 
• $17.7 million for management planning  

Centennial Challenge - The Centennial Challenge program is instrumental in garnering and fostering strong partnerships. All Federal funds must be matched on at least a 1:1 basis. The 2025 budget includes $13 million for this program. 

National Recreation and Preservation - This appropriation supports local community efforts to preserve natural and cultural resources. The 2025 budget includes $84.4 million broken out as follows: 

• $19.6 million for Natural Programs 
• $44.2 million for Cultural Programs 
• $0.5 million for Environmental Compliance 
• $2.1 million for International Park Affairs 
• $18.1 million for Heritage Partnership Programs 

Historic Preservation Fund – Supports Historic Preservation Offices in States, Territories, and Tribal lands to preserve historically and culturally significant sites and provides competitive grants to other entities. The 2025 budget includes $151.4 million for these programs broken out as follows: 

• $62.2 million for grants to State Historic Preservation Offices 
• $23.0 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices 
• $2.5 million for Tribal Heritage Grants  
• $11.0 million for grants-in-aid to Historically Black Colleges and Universities  
• $12.5 million for Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants 
• $30.3 million for competitive grants to preserve historic sites  
• $10.0 million for Save America’s Treasures grants  

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 429 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.