White House replaces hospitality executive aiming to lead National Park Service amid Trump’s staff reductions

(SeaPRwire) –   The White House announced on Monday that President Donald Trump is pulling back his nomination of a hospitality industry executive to head the National Park Service.

Scott Socha’s nomination withdrawal coincides with the park service being disrupted by extensive layoffs, which are part of the Trump administration’s commitment to drastically cut the agency’s workforce.

In a statement, Socha stated that he was stepping out of the running for the position due to personal matters.

Right now, the park service is managed by acting director Jessica Bowron, who serves as the agency’s comptroller. During Trump’s first term, the service never had a director confirmed by the Senate; instead, it was led by a sequence of acting directors.

Socha holds the position of president for parks and resorts at Delaware North, a company based in Buffalo, New York. Delaware North has service agreements with many parks and identifies itself as one of the globe’s biggest privately held entertainment and hospitality firms. When Socha was nominated in February, a White House spokesperson noted he was “completely qualified” to carry out Trump’s initiatives for the park system.

However, several conservation organizations had raised doubts about whether Socha’s private sector experience gave him the necessary skills to manage the hundreds of national parks and monuments—from iconic cultural landmarks like the Statue of Liberty to isolated locations in Utah’s desert.

The Associated Press emailed the White House and the Interior Department to request comments regarding Socha’s withdrawal.

Since Trump assumed office, thousands of employees have either been terminated or left the park service for other reasons.

Emily Douce, who works with the National Parks Conservation Association (an advocacy group), stated on Monday that the service’s next director must “reverse the harm that has been done.”

“It’s extremely regrettable that our parks have gone over a year without a permanent director, especially at a time when they need strong, consistent leadership more than ever,” Douce commented.

The Republican administration’s proposed budget for the upcoming year would cut the workforce to 9,200 employees—nearly a 30% decrease from 2025 levels.

For the 2027 fiscal year, which begins in October, the park service’s operating budget would be reduced by over $1 billion, bringing it down to $2.2 billion.

Lawmakers in Congress blocked similar proposed cuts for 2026 after park advocates and former employees warned that the administration’s plan would have essentially hollowed out the agency.

The administration has also faced criticism for removing or planning to remove national park exhibits focused on slavery, climate change, and the erasure of Native American culture. In February, a federal judge ordered that an exhibit about nine individuals enslaved by George Washington be reinstated at Washington’s former residence in Philadelphia—after the Trump administration had taken it down.

Administration officials have stated that they are removing “derogatory” content under an order Trump issued last year. Critics claim the administration is attempting to whitewash the country’s history.

Under Doug Burgum, Trump’s interior secretary, the park service has begun charging millions of international tourists a $100 fee per visit to sites like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Additionally, the service has added Trump’s image to its annual passes for U.S. citizens—a move that led environmentalists to file a lawsuit, arguing it was unlawful.