Secretary Bernhardt’s Statement Regarding the Reopening of National Parks

Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt issued the following statement today regarding the resumption of operations for the National Park System.

04/25/2020
Last edited 04/25/2020

“President Trump recently unveiled new guidelines for Opening Up America Again, a three-phased approach to assist state and local officials in safely reopening their economies, getting people back to work and continuing to protect American lives. In accordance with this guidance and in coordination with governors across the country, the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service are working to reopen the American people’s national parks as rapidly as possible.

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers and partners continues to be paramount. Across the 500 million acres of public lands stewarded by the Department of the Interior, an overwhelming majority of these lands have remained safely accessible to the American public.

President Trump recognizes the magnificence and grandeur of our National Park System and our ability to restore access to these lands in a safe manner. As National Park Week draws to an end, it is time the American people once again enjoy the incredible benefits of the great outdoors at our national parks, and we will be making that happen while working with our nation’s governors!”

###

  • Press Release
    Hikers at Sacramento Recreational River, California
    06/25/2026

    Interior Releases First-Ever Interagency Recreation Visitation Report and Announces Nationwide…

    The Department of the Interior today announced the release of the Interagency Recreation Visitation Data Report, the first unified compilation of recreation visitation estimates across all federal land and water management agencies, as directed by the EXPLORE Act. The landmark report provides a comprehensive, standardized view of how millions of people experience outdoor recreation across hundreds of millions of acres of federally managed public lands and waters.

    Read more
  • Press Release
    Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
    06/25/2026

    Interior Department Opens Transformational Lincoln Memorial Undercroft Museum

    The Department of the Interior today celebrated the opening of the new Lincoln Memorial Undercroft Museum, unveiling a 15,000-square-foot immersive museum beneath one of the nation's most iconic memorials. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum joined the National Park Service, National Park Foundation and project partners to officially open the new experience to the public.

    Read more

Was this page helpful?

Please provide a comment