President Donald Trump is proposing a $10 billion fund for federal construction and beautification projects in the D.C. area, while planning additional cuts to the agency that would oversee the work.
A “Presidential Capital Stewardship Program” was included in a Friday announcement of Trump’s fiscal 2027 spending priorities.
The White House said the program within the National Park Service would “coordinate, plan, and execute targeted, priority construction and beautification projects in and around Washington, D.C.”
The National Parks Conservation Association is critical of the proposal, which also slashes $736 million from national park operations across the U.S.
“We support efforts to modernize and repair park infrastructure but not when it’s paired with massive cuts to Park Service operations,” John Garder, the nonprofit’s budget director, said in a statement.
The Trump administration also cut the agency’s budget for 2026.
The $10 billion proposed for the D.C.-area program is more than three times the National Park Service’s annual budget, said the association, and would cover nearly half of the U.S. park system’s maintenance backlog.
Federal parks in the D.C. area have a $1.5 billion backlog, the conservation group said, and “it’s unclear why new construction is prioritized, especially without a plan for maintaining new infrastructure.”
“Under the President’s leadership, the Administration is committed to making Washington, D.C.—a once-great city—safe, clean, and beautiful again,” the White House said in a statement.
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