Protect our history. Protect our parks.

I am extremely concerned about the recent decision by the Trump Administration to terminate the leases for 34 NPS offices across the nation. These offices include administrative buildings, visitor centers, and public safety facilities. The closure of these locations will directly degrade the ability for the National Park Service to fulfill its mission and the experiences of visitors from Alaska to Arizona to Arkansas. In particular, I am concern about the closure of the Southeast Regional Archeological Center. This location already lost staff in the mass-firing of 1000 NPS staff on February 14, and now is planned to be closed entirely. The SEAC houses millions of artifacts and services 70 national park units. These include: Historic sites like Abraham Lincoln Birthplace and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. Ancient indigenous cultural sites like Mammoth Cave National Park, Poverty Point National Historic Site, and Russell Cave National Monument. Battlefields and forts, including Fort Sumter and Vicksburg National Military Park. In addition to serving the American public directly through the preservation and interpretation of artifacts from these national park sites, the SEAC fulfills legal requirements under the National Historic Preservation Act and the Native Graves Repatriation Act. The mission of the National Park Service is to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” From the beginning, a key aspect of that mission has been to specifically preserve and interpret the history of the United States. The Southeast Archeological Center is an irreplaceable element of fulfilling that mission. The American people care about the protection of their cultural heritage. Shuttering the SEAC — among 33 other NPS offices — does nothing but harm present and future generations. In light of this, I urge you to demand an explanation from the Department of the Interior as to why the SEAC is being shuttered and fight for it to remain open. In addition, I implore you to continue to demand the return of the 1,000 NPS staff who were fired on Valentines Day, 2025, which includes staff at the Southeastern Archeological Center. Regards,