Call Your Reps Today to Support the Indiana Dunes

Call Your Reps Today to Support the Indiana Dunes!

Recent decisions coming out of the executive branch of the federal government are having impacts in Northwest Indiana, particularly for the Indiana Dunes National Park. We are asking you to take 3 steps today to help advocate for natural areas in our region. Read on to learn more about what’s happening and how you can make a difference for the dunes.

3 Steps You Can Take to Help

Step 1 - Contact Your Reps

Call your federal Senator and Representative offices voicing your concern for the Indiana Dunes National Park. We’ve provided a script below to get you started.

Step 2 - Share This Information

Share this information with others and spread the word with your community.

Step 3 - Connect with Us

Follow Save the Dunes and sign up for our eNewsletter, follow us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram for the latest updates.

Why Save the Dunes is Concerned

Recent Staff Cuts at Indiana Dunes National Park

Several individuals were fired from the Indiana Dunes National Park in February, and many fear more cuts are coming. Read more about the Reduction in Force deadline of 3/13/25.

The Indiana Dunes National Park, like many of our National Parks, has suffered from staffing levels which have not kept pace with rising costs of maintaining our parks natural, cultural, and visitor resources. Our Park is already understaffed and these recent directives are severely reducing the park’s workforce even more. Since 2010, staffing to operate national parks has declined by 20% while visitation has increased by 16%. For context the Indiana Dunes National Park is the number one tourist destination in the state and the most recent statistics show that the park brought in more than 2.8 million visitors annually, and generated an estimated $206 million in revenue for local communities.

Park staff, including educational, custodial, natural resource management, maintenance, and beach lifeguards help operate parks in the busy spring and summer seasons, which are just around the corner. If those jobs are not restored, there will be insufficient staff to greet millions of visitors for spring break and summer. This will likely result in unkept bathrooms, delayed entry at gates, scarce staff to greet and direct visitors, public safety risks at our beaches, and other impacts for visitors.

How to Voice Your Concerns

We need your help! Your federal representatives are more likely to take action if they hear from you, their constituent! Phone calls are the most impactful way to communicate your concerns. Here’s how to find your reps, and what to say when you contact thier offices.

Who are Your Reps?

First you need to identify the federal legislators that represent you.

Click on the button below and enter your address
Look for the “Congressional Legislators” section. You will have one Representative and two Senators
The phone numbers will be listed, these are the three office numbers you will want to call

What Should You Say?

When calling, have a short script prepared and be ready to leave a message. Your call should be polite, to the point, and focused on your request.

Sample Script:

Hi, my name is __ and I live in __(city/county the legislator represents)
I am deeply concerned with the recent Executive Orders and policies issued by the new administration that threaten to significantly reduce the National Park Service workforce, and will have direct impacts on our local Indiana Dunes National Park and many local businesses who rely on them.
I am asking you to please express concern to the White House and directly with Secretary Burgum requesting an immediate reinstating the 1,000 National Park Service permanent positions that were terminated and ensure the National Park Service is exempt from future federal decisions that will be detrimental to our parks. This will allow our Indiana Dunes National Park to prepare for the spring and summer seasons and maintain these irreplaceable sites that are economic engines for our Hoosier communities.
(Add personal example of why this is important to you and/or how it impacts your community)

Examples:

The Indiana Dunes National Park is the number one tourist destination in the state and the most recent statistics show that the park brought in 2.8 million visitors annually, and generated an estimated $206 million in revenue for local communities.

Multiple staff have already been fired from our Indiana Dunes National Park- this will have direct impacts on natural resource management, visitor experience including facilities maintenance and beach safety, and the many businesses that rely on national parks in our region. As an Indiana Representative, please reach out to Secretary Burgum and ask for the national park service to be exempted from recent and upcoming federal staff changes. As a constituent, I ask that you do everything in your power to support our National Park Service and our state’s Indiana Dunes National Park.
Thank you for your consideration!