National Park fees head to D.C., while Yellowstone, Glacier wrestle with backlogged maintenance

By: Angus Thuermer, Jr., Micah Drew

Outlets: Daily Montanan

Published: June 10, 2026

Words: 1,376

Last Updated: 1 day, 14 hours ago


Body Text Preview

Major national park units in Wyoming face a combined $1.6 billion maintenance backlog for roads, trails, sewerage and more, as critics say locally generated fees are being spent on President Donald Trump’s “vanity” projects in Washington.

Montana’s share of the backlog — excluding Yellowstone National Park — tallies more than $230 million.

Yellowstone National Park alone needs $523 million for paved roads, $218 million for housing, $211 million for water systems and $74 million for …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Register for Free Log in