2025-03-06T02:05:26Z Read in app The National Park Service has leases being targeted for termination on top of the recent staff cuts, advocacy group says. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Over 30 National Park Service leases could be canceled, advocacy group NPCA said.The NPCA said the canceling the leases could impact visitor experiences and safety.The potential lease terminations are part of the Trump administration's push for spending cuts.More than 30 leases that house National Park Service operations from visitor centers to law enforcement and search and rescue facilities are on the chopping block, according to an analysis by the National Park Conservation Association, or NPCA.The NPCA, a nonprofit that advocates for the national parks, compiled a list of leases that have been targeted for termination by the Trump administration. If approved, the terminations would take effect at various times this year or next depending on the locations, according to the list."Whoever's making these decisions is not making them in the best interest of the park service or park visitors,"Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs at NPCA, told Business Insider. "Sure, you could be saving some money, but at the expense of public safety."The potential cancelations are part of the Trump administration's push for efficiency and spending cuts across the federal government, which has included mass firings as well as lease terminations by various agencies.Park advocates and employees have already expressed concern about staffing cuts around 1,000 NPS employees were believed to have been fired last month while an additional 700-plus opted into the deferred resignation program, according to an internal NPS memo viewed by BI. They said the staff cuts would make the parks less safe and less enjoyable for visitors. NPCA said canceling these leases would have a similar effect."The Department of the Interior and its bureaus are committed to upholding federal responsibilities to communities and tribes," a spokesperson for the Department of the Interior, which includes NPS, told BI, adding that the department is working with the General Services Administration, or GSA, "to ensure facilities or alternative options will be available for the continued delivery of Interior services as we embrace new opportunities for optimization and innovation in workforce management."The GSA, whichSo what could that mean for travelers headed to National Parks for their vacations?The facilities being targeted include at least eight visitor centers, including some that have no apparent alternative location, Brengel said. The visitors centers on the list include the Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center, the visitor center for Little River Canyon National Preserve in Alabama, the visitor center for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in Minnesota, and the visitor center for the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle.Brengel said visitor centers are the first stop for many park-goers, who rely on park rangers at those centers to get information on what to do or see, park history, and how to stay safe while exploring, as well as any trail closures or potentially dangerous weather conditions.Other facilities that NPCA found could have their leases terminated include those used for law enforcement or search and rescue, or SAR. One facility in Utah is located centrally to several national parks and houses staff and equipment, including some used to address wildfires and for SAR. NPCA said it's currently unclear where these resources would be relocated if the lease was terminated.The list also includes facilities focused on science, like water quality testing, and that house delicate artifacts that require specific conditions to be safely stored, like theSoutheast Archeological Center in in Tallahassee, Florida. The potential impacts are compounded by the staffing cuts, which advocates and park service employees said could lead to overflowing trash cans and poorly maintained bathrooms and other facilities, as well as long entrance lines to enter parks or closed off areas.Some park service employees are making the case that the leases are necessary and are appealing to the GSA for exceptions, Brengel said. It's unclear when the appeals would be granted or when the final termination orders would be issued.Brengel said it seems like these only reason these particular leases were targeted was because they were considered "soft-term," meaning they were in a period of their contract in which they could more easily be terminated.If the superintendents of the parks had been consulted in advance of proposing cuts, she said, they would have found NPS has been "underfunded and understaffed for 15 years."Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at kvlamis@businessinsider.com or Signal at @kelseyv.21. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.