Montana’s congressional delegation lauded the passage last week of the federal tax cut and spending package known as the “Big Beautiful Bill," but an advocacy group claims the law is bad for national parks.

“Since the Trump administration took office, the National Park Service has lost 24% of its permanent staff, affecting every park unit in the country. Despite this decline, the House voted to take back over $260 million the parks relied on to keep historic and cultural resources safe and visitor centers staffed during summer, their busiest season,” the National Parks Conservation Association said in a statement as the bill was signed by President Donald Trump on July 4.

But Congressman Ryan Zinke and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, Montana Republicans who supported the bill, said they spoke to the superintendents of Glacier and Yellowstone national parks and they said they had adequate staffing to run their respective parks this summer.

“Our national parks are the crown jewels of the United States. I’ve been in close contact with Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly and Glacier Superintendent Dave Roemer, who have confirmed the parks are fully equipped to continue accommodating visitors from far and wide. I’ll continue to work with appropriate agencies to ensure that critical services and jobs for Montanans are uninterrupted as President Trump works to reduce waste and bring back fiscal responsibility within the federal government,” Sen. Steve Daines said in a statement to the Hungry Horse News.

Zinke's office echoed Daines' remarks. 

“Congressman Zinke has been in communication with both the director of Glacier National Park and the director of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Both directors are enthusiastic about their staffing levels and will be fully prepared for this year’s busy season. In fact, Yellowstone National Park is currently staffed at record levels. Congressman Zinke will continue to work with the national parks in Montana to make sure that our public treasures remain open and operational for visitors and the gateway communities that rely on them,” an aide to the Congressman wrote in an email to the Hungry Horse News.

While it is true that Yellowstone staffing is up, Glacier’s permanent and permanent seasonal staffing is down 25%, multiple sources have reported over the past few weeks.

“Since the introduction of this reckless bill, the National Parks Conservation Association and park lovers across the country have overwhelmingly expressed their concern for public lands as lawmakers put them on the chopping block. And despite the thousands of Americans calling, writing letters and rallying in their communities for their national parks and public lands, the House demonstrated a carelessness for the places that shape the foundation of America’s identity, including our battlefields, scenic rivers and one-of-a-kind monuments,” said Daniel Hart, Director of Clean Energy and Climate Policy for the National Parks Conservation Association. “The consequences of this short-sighted legislation will be felt for generations. Visitors from around the world could face shuttered visitor centers, canceled ranger programs, longer lines and diminished park experiences — all the result of unnecessary slashes to National Park Service funding and a deepening staffing crisis.”

Parks aside, Daines heralded the tax cuts contained in the bill. He and Zinke both noted that provisions to sell hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in states other than Montana were stripped from the bill at their behest.

“The Big Beautiful Bill is a win for Montana and there is no better way to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day than with the signing of this legislation. The Big Beautiful Bill will benefit Montana for generations to come and ensure that we remain The Last Best Place.  I’m thrilled we delivered the largest tax cut in American history and tax certainty for families and small businesses, as well as funding for the border and for our great military, and I cannot wait to see the President sign this bill into law,” Daines said.

“Montanans are struggling to pay their bills, our borders were wide open, and the essential services our citizens rely on were failing,” said Zinke in a press release after the bill’s passage. “Montanans asked for change last November, and today we delivered. This is a win for hardworking Montanans and a win for the country. The bill puts Americans first, delivers real tax relief, secures the border, and protects our public lands from being sold off to the highest bidder. I was never going to back down when it came to public land sales and I’m never going to give up the fight to deliver for Montana. Today we won, and I look forward to the President signing this historic legislation into law.”

The bill contains a work provision that could affect millions on Medicaid, spends billions on border security and has a large tax cut that critics say primarily benefits the rich, but also helps the middle class by boosting the child tax credit and eliminating tax on tips and overtime, for example.

It also ends taxpayer Medicare funding for immigrants in the country illegally, the congressman noted.

Other critics have raised concern about the long term debt associated with the bill’s tax cuts. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said the bill will add about $3.3 trillion to the national debt in 10 years.