1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Stop Diverting National Park Fees to Trump’s DC Vanity Projects Public lands belong to the public — not to the president and his cronies. We’re not paying national park entrance fees so Trump can Mar-a-Lago the DC fountains. Protect our parks. The National Park Service has diverted at least $67 million in visitor entrance fees to ornamental fountain restorations and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — projects Trump personally championed and rushed to finish before his July 4th party. He can see them from the White House. The Reflecting Pool contract alone ballooned from his stated $1.8 million to more than $13 million, handed to a handpicked contractor through a no-bid deal now being challenged in court. In prior administrations, DC received 5% or less of the discretionary fee fund. Under Trump, that’s surged past 90%. And in 2026, the Park Service raised resident passes to $80 and non-resident passes to $250 — then sent the money to fix his fountains. We demand Congress: • Audit all Recreation Enhancement Fee Program spending since January 2025 • Ban use of visitor fees for presidential aesthetic projects • Freeze further diversions until that audit is complete