The Congress considers a permanent increase in national park costs for foreign visitors

First on Fox: President Donald Trump Executive decree of growing costs in national parks for foreign tourists could soon be made permanent by a new bill led by the Senator of Indiana Jim Banks.

The Patriot Parks Act seeks to approach the US National Park Service (NPS) Maintenance backlog of 23 billion dollars which threatens the repairs of visitors, trails, roads and NPS conservation needs.

“Americans are already paying our parks thanks to federal taxes in addition to standard admission costs, so it is fair to ask foreign visitors to take off more,” Banks told Fox News Digital. “This bill codifies President Trump’s decree and helps protect our national treasures for future generations.”

Senator Jim Banks, a Republican of Indiana, in the oval office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, May 2025. (Chris Kleponis / CNP / Bloomberg)

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Certain factors that have contributed to the major deferred maintenance deficit in funding include the aging infrastructure of equipment and facilities, federal constraints and budget cuts, and an increasing number of visitors in parks across the United States.

The struggle to erase the back of around $ 23 billion has been a key problem in the congress for several years.

The Landmark Great American Outdoors Act, which was introduced in 2019 by Senator Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, and seated Senator Steve DainesR-Montana, included $ 6.5 billion for NP from 2021 to 2025. While this funding should expire and pedestrian traffic of national parks increases, the Patriot Park Act could play a new role in Reining in the Maintenance Arrié.

A panel from the Yosemite National Park is seen in El Portal, California, on Saturday March 1, 2025. (Stephen Lam / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

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The NPS recorded 331.9 million visits in 2024 only, and about a third of all international travelers take the time to visit a national park during their visit. There are more than 400 national parks in the United States, which include monuments like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite.

On July 3, 2025, President Donald Trump signed a decree Entitled: “Make America again by improving our national parks”, which has established increased costs for international travelers.

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The NPS operates under the United States Department of the Interior, directed by Secretary Doug Burgum, Who told X that the decree “will ensure that our parks remain accessible, durable and protected for future generations”.

The Colorado river crosses the Grand Canyon on February 22, 2025 in Grand Canyon, Arizona. (Brandon Bell / Getty Images)

A house version of the legislation should be presented by the member of the Congress Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, making the bill a bicameral effort to support the decree of President Trump.

“From the New River Gorge in my country of origin in Shenandoah, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Everglades and the Grand Canyon – God blessed our nation with a huge natural heritage,” Moore told Fox News Digital.

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“We owe it to future generations to ensure that these natural wonders are protected.”

Preston Mizell is a Fox News Digital writer covering Breaking news. History advice can be sent to [email protected] and on x @Mizellpreston