5,200 People Participate In Comment Period Asking National Park Service To Improve Visitor Services

WASHINGTON, DC - On Thursday, October 9, the National Park Service (NPS) closed its public comment periodseeking feedback on ways to improve visitor services in parks. More than 5,200 Sierra Club supporters responded, asking for park signage that tells honest and complete history; adaptive equipment and expanded shuttles to increase accessibility; increased multilingual, youth, and veterans programs to inspire future generations and provide healing opportunities; full staffing of park rangers, interpreters, and other roles; and sustainability initiatives like cutting plastic waste and preparing for extreme weather.

In addition, the Sierra Club's Outdoors for Allcampaign and several members of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids(OAK), of which the Sierra Club is a founding member, submitted comment letters.

• Read the Sierra Club's letter: https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/default/files/2025-10/sierra-club-nps-improving-visitor-servces-comment-period-letter.pdf
• Read OAK's letter: https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/default/files/2025-10/oak-nps-comment.pdf

"National parks are places where people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds connect with nature, history, and one another. Even before the federal government shutdown, parks were drastically impacted by the Trump administration's policies, and right now, they are being forced to operate with skeleton crews and funding shortfalls that weaken their ability to serve the public," said Gerry Seavo James, Deputy Director of the Sierra Club's Outdoors for All campaign. "This comment period is a powerful opportunity to shape the future of these beloved places. Visitor services affect nearly every part of the park experience, from how people get there to how they learn and explore. By speaking up, we can help ensure our parks remain accessible, sustainable, and welcoming for generations to come."

"The future of the National Park Service depends on strong pathways across generations. Programs like Junior Rangers, Every Kid Outdoors, and Conservation Corps allow young people to enjoy parks, improve health and well-being, and grow into the next generation of stewards. However, these programs only flourish if the staffing and resources provided to these programs keep pace with program demand. After losing nearly 24% of its core staff this year, it is imperative that the National Park Service rebuild its workforce with permanent jobs to restore these important programs that inspire future generations to protect these sacred places," said Julia Hurwit, Campaign Manager for the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK).

Key themes of many of the public comments advocating for improved visitor services:

• Interpretation and education: Rescind President Trump's executive orderon "disparaging" park signage and share full, honest stories of park history to build trust and deepen visitor connections.
• Access and connectivity: Expand adaptive services like braille signage and sustainable transportation - including shuttles within the parks as well as public transit to get to the parks - so parks are truly accessible to everyone.
• Youth:Invest in youth programs like Junior Rangersand Every Kid Outdoorsto grow the next generation of park stewards - including adequate staffing of those programs.
• Veterans: Invest in veteran programs to provide healing opportunities in the outdoors, and increase career pathways for veterans and military families as outlined in the "Military and Veterans in Parks" section of the EXPLORE Act.
• People and workforce: Rebuild the NPS workforce with permanent jobs to restore safe, consistent park services, after funding cuts from early 2025 reduced nearly one quarter of NPS staff.
• Sustainability: Ensure parks are resilient for generations to come by upgrading infrastructure to prepare for extreme weather and improve sustainability initiatives like reducing single-use plastics and increasing water filling stations.

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.