Call Your Senators to Support the National Park!

Call Your Senators to Support the National Park

UPDATE (as of 7/7/25): The President signed the bill into law last Friday afternoon and the final bill markup unfortunately does not include the $267 million of previously committed funding for park staffing nationwide. Save the Dunes will continue to monitor this bill’s implementation, along with other bills that impact the National Park Service.

The Indiana Dunes are facing growing challenges that threaten their health and future. Ongoing federal budget negotiations are putting the National Park Service at risk, with proposed cuts threatening the staff and resources our parks depend on. Our organization continues to work to support and protect the park during this critical time—and we’re asking you to do the same.

The reconciliation bill passed out of the House in late May and is now being worked on in the Senate, where key decisions will be made. We need your voice now: contact your senators today and urge them to protect funding for our national parks.

Please call today and ask Indiana Senators Todd Young and Jim Banks to support the Indiana Dunes National Park by revising the reconciliation bill to preserve critical funding for the National Park Service and the dedicated staff who safeguard our public lands.

How to Take Action:

Step 1 - Contact Senator Banks

Call Senator Banks and Senator Young to express your support for the Indiana Dunes National Park, and ask that they both support keeping funding in from the Inflation Reduction Act that will help rebuild staffing capacity across the park service.

Senator Banks Phone Number: (202) 224-4814

Senator Young Phone Number: (202) 224-5623

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.

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 asking Senator ___ to support Indiana’s only national park by protecting NPS funding, including keeping in the $267 million from the Inflation Reduction Act dedicated to rebuilding staffing capacity across the parks service, in the Senate Reconciliation Bill. These dollars serves as a critical source of funding to helping our Indiana Dunes National Park fund staff needed to protect and preserve our state’s most precious and rare biodiversity, particularly during the summer and fall, our park’s busiest visitation months.
These irreplaceable sites in the Indiana Dunes National Park 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 2.7 million visitors annually, and generated an estimated $206 million in revenue for local communities.
- As a constituent, I ask that you do everything in your power to support the National Park Service and the conservation efforts to protect the unique biodiversity in the park.
- Without this critical funding from this bill, the Indiana Dunes National Park would not be able to hire staff to help protect our most unique and beautiful ecosystems in our state.

Please ask Senator ___ to support the Indiana Dunes National Park by keeping the Inflation Reduction Act funding in the Senate Reconciliation Bill that will help rebuild National Park staff capacity, which is desperately needed during the busiest months during the summer and fall.
Thank you for your consideration!

Why Your Support Matters

Senate Reconciliation Bill

On May 22nd, 2025 the House of Representatives passed a reconciliation bill that proposes further funding cuts to the National Park Service. Unfortunately, the remaining Inflation Reduction Act funding for the National Park Service, which includes $267 million that would support critical park staffing needs, has been cut from the bill entirely. If these cuts are kept in the final reconciliation bill, it would be detrimental to our Indiana Dunes National Park. Our partners at National Parks Conservation Association estimate that since January of this year, the Park Service has already lost 13% of its staff due to buyouts, deferred resignations, and early retirements.

The Indiana Dunes National Park, like many other 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 recent directives are reducing the park’s workforce even more. Since 2010, staffing to operate national parks has declined by 20% while visitation has increased by 16%. The Indiana Dunes National Park is the number one tourist destination in the state of Indiana 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.

The reconciliation bill is now in the Senate, where this bill can be rewritten or changed to not include these detrimental cuts to the National Park Service.

White House Budget Request

At the same time, the President’s recent budget request adds to growing concerns about the future of the National Park Service and other critical environmental agencies. The White House released its detailed budget request, adding further details to the president’s “Skinny Budget” released earlier in the month.
The new documents released detail the White House’s request for spending cuts across government agencies, including the National Park Service (NPS) and several environmental agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Unfortunately, these cuts would affect core federal agencies that advance Great Lakes restoration and clean water protections in Northwest Indiana. The request proposes:

EPA – $5 billion (54.5%) cut
USGS – $558.6 million (38.5%) cut
USFWS – $538.5 million (32.1%) cut
NPS – $1.2 billion (36.6%) cut
NOAA – at least $1.5 billion in cuts

These numbers proposed by the white house would be devastating to our National Park Service, and our organization will continue to monitor the situation and advocate against these severe budget cuts.

The Indiana Dunes are a treasure—rich in biodiversity, beauty, and meaning for so many who live near and visit them. But they need all of us to help ensure they stay that way. Whether you’re exploring the trails, enjoying the beach, or simply speaking up for their protection, your actions make a real impact. By recreating responsibly and supporting the park in thoughtful ways, we can all help protect this incredible place for the future. Let’s show the dunes the care they deserve by reaching out to our Indiana senators Todd Young and Jim Banks and asking them to support our Indiana Dunes National Park.

More Ways to Support the Park

For more ways to support the Indiana Dunes National Park, check out our latest blog.