December 26, 2025 7:20 a.m. 

On Wednesday, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden said he has joined colleagues in calling on the Trump administration to pause its new national park entry fees and annual passes fees for non-residents, scheduled to take effect on January 1st.

A release said Wyden and the other senators said the new fees were not properly noticed in accordance with the law, will slow park entry, and will further limit international visitation.

In late November, the federal Department of the Interior announced a new fee structure for access to public lands. Beginning next year, the annual pass will cost $80 for U.S. citizens and residents, and $250 for non-residents. Wyden said this will be the first time the United States has required proof of residency to have access to public lands. Non-resident age 16 and up who don’t have an annual pass will be forced to pay $100 per person to enter 11 of the country’s most visited national parks.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the senators said, “We request that you stop implementation of the new non-resident passes and fees until the public has an opportunity to weigh in, impacts to visitation are studied, and clarity on implementation is provided to Congress, National Park Service employees, and impacted stakeholders”.

In addition to Wyden, the letter was led by Senator Alex Padilla of California. It was also signed by three other Democratic senators.

The senators also warned that this plan would further strain understaffed Park Service workforce, as the Trump administration has cut 24 percent of permanent Park Service employees since January, including positions like fee collectors and information technology specialists. The release said these staffing shortages will likely further compound entry delays, especially at the highly visited parks charged an extra $100 for non-residents.