National Park Foundation chief on protecting America’s shared spaces

Key Concepts

• National Park Foundation (NPF): The official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service (NPS), created by Congress to support and sustain the national park system.
• Public-Private Partnership: The collaborative model where government funding is supplemented by private donations, volunteerism, and corporate partnerships to maintain park infrastructure and services.
• Infrastructure & Workforce Challenges: Ongoing issues including aging facilities, staffing shortages, and the high cost of living for park employees.
• 250th Anniversary of the U.S.: A milestone event used as a focal point for encouraging public engagement and reflection on American history through the lens of national parks.

1. Current State of National Parks

• Record Attendance: In 2025, the U.S. National Park system recorded over 323 million visits, marking an all-time high.
• System Scope: The system encompasses over 430 individual units that preserve the American landscape and history.
• Budgetary Pressures: The Trump administration has proposed a $1.2 billion budget cut to the National Park Service. Jeff Reinbold notes that this poses a significant threat to an already understaffed workforce and could jeopardize the protection of these sites.

2. Strategic Priorities and Investments

The National Park Foundation focuses on "long-view" investments to ensure the endurance of the parks. Key areas of focus include:

• Workforce Housing: A critical investment area. Reinbold highlighted that in locations like Grand Teton, the high cost of living has forced rangers into substandard housing. The NPF is prioritizing funding to address this inequity.
• Educational Access: Programs designed to get 4th graders into parks to foster a lifelong connection to the outdoors.
• Technological Innovation: The NPF is working to bridge the gap between the private sector and the NPS by providing access to modern technology and new management methodologies that the government currently lacks.

3. The Role of Public Engagement

Reinbold emphasizes that the "audacious" idea of setting aside the most important American landscapes for public use requires active citizen participation.

• Advocacy: Encouraging the public to move beyond passive visitation to active involvement.
• Financial Support: While large donations are impactful, Reinbold stresses the importance of recurring, smaller gifts from the public, which provide a stable foundation for park maintenance.
• Volunteerism: A vital component of the park ecosystem, where local volunteers assist in the daily operations and preservation of individual park units.

4. Philosophical Perspective

• "The Declaration of Independence laid across the landscape": Reinbold cites Ken Burns’ description of the parks, arguing that they are not just land, but the physical embodiment of the American story and spirit.
• The "Long View": The NPF operates on a multi-generational timeline, focusing on solutions that address both historical, unresolved problems and future challenges, rather than reacting solely to short-term political cycles.

5. Notable Quotes

• "If you think about it, there is nothing more American than our national parks... the entire story of America can be found there." — Jeff Reinbold
• "We invest in those things that really make parks enduring, things that are going to make them last." — Jeff Reinbold

6. Synthesis and Conclusion

The national park system is currently at a crossroads, balancing record-breaking popularity with significant financial and operational strain. Jeff Reinbold’s approach centers on leveraging the NPF’s unique position to facilitate public-private partnerships that address systemic issues like housing and technological stagnation. By framing the parks as essential symbols of the American experience, the NPF aims to mobilize the public to protect these sites through donations, volunteerism, and advocacy, ensuring they remain preserved for future generations.