Resolution to Protect National Parks Cemented

Assemblymember Greg Wallis Announces Resolution to Protect National Parks Is Now Official

SACRAMENTO — Assembly Joint Resolution 9 has officially been adopted by the California Legislature, Assemblymember Greg Wallis announced Wednesday, Aug. 19. AJR 9 urges the President and Congress to restore full and consistent funding and staffing for the National Park Service and calls for continued protection of federal public lands.

“This is not just about budgets and line items. It’s about stewardship,” Wallis. said in a statement “Our federal partners are falling short of the support our national parks need, and Californians are making clear that these cherished places are worth fighting for. Public lands belong in public hands, and the strong bipartisan support behind AJR 9 demonstrates that principle crosses party lines. Now we need Washington to reinvest in the people and programs that keep our national parks thriving for the next generation.”

California is home to nine national parks, including Joshua Tree National Park. In 2023, visitors to National Park Service lands across California spent an estimated $3.2 billion in nearby communities and supported nearly 40,000 jobs.

“Our national parks protect our wildlife, preserve our history, and provide immense enjoyment to millions of Americans, yet their funding and staffing have been gutted by recent federal actions,” said Chance Wilcox, California Desert Associate Director at the National Parks Conservation Association. “As a resident of the Morongo Basin, a community that reaps significant economic benefits from Joshua Tree tourism, I am grateful for Assemblymember Wallis’s leadership in stepping up to defend these special places, including Joshua Tree National Park in his district, and recognizing that national parks are drivers of strong local economies. His resolution, and its passage without any opposition, demonstrates the legacy of bipartisan support for our ,,, parks, and shows that investing in these iconic places is an investment for our future.”

“… parks are refuges for wildlife, history, and the public’s access to recreation and enjoyment of nature. Overwhelmingly, the public support…  parks, yet time and time again federal actions have undercut their stability through significant staffing and funding reductions,” said Krystian Lahage, Public Policy Officer at the Mojave Desert Land Trust. “As a representative of the Mojave Desert Land Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the California deserts, I commend Assemblymember Wallis’ leadership on protecting public lands for all Californians. The iconic Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks are internationally popular and provide the backbone for robust gateway economies. This resolution’s unified bipartisan support shows how integral public lands including national parks are to the fabric of state and nation.”

Because AJR 9 is a joint resolution, it does not require the Governor’s signature and will now be transmitted to federal leaders and members of California’s congressional delegation.