Most of US National Park Service Advisory Board Resigns

Citing significant differences in vision with President Trump and Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, the majority of the U.S. National Park Service advisory board resigned Monday.

Of the 12-member board, just three members remain, according to Travel + Leisure.

The board was led by former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles, who authored the group's resignation letter addressed to Zinke.

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In the January 15 letter, Knowles states that multiple “requests to engage have been ignored and the matters [on] which we wanted to brief the new Department team are clearly not part of the agenda,” according to a copy of the document published by the Washington Post.

The letter makes a point of contrasting the current work environment under Trump and Zinke with the one that existed under President Barack Obama, noting that the board was able to work “closely and productively through 2016 with dedicated National Park Service employees, an inspiring Director and a fully supportive Department."

“We engaged over a hundred volunteer national experts in education, science, history and anthropology, and park management and planning to help design the right path to meet the challenges and changes for the second century of our National Parks,” Knowles’ letter continues.

“We emphasized scientific research and mitigation of climate change; engaging young generations; evolving a more diverse culture of park visitors, advocates and employees; bringing our schools to our parks and our parks to our schools; stressing park urbanization; protecting the natural diversity of wildlife; and so much more.”

Knowles said the board wanted to brief Zinke on all these efforts, but it was continually rebuffed.

“For the last year we have stood by waiting for the chance to meet and continue the partnership between the NPSAB and the DOI as prescribed by law,” states the letter, which concludes by adding: “From all of the events of this past year I have a profound concern that the mission of stewardship, protection, and advancement of our National Parks has been set aside. I hope that future actions of the Department of Interior demonstrate that this is not the case.”

Trump and Zinke have made a number of controversial recommendations and decisions since the president was elected, among them suggesting that national park entrance fees be more than doubled and reintroducing the use of plastic water bottles, which had previously been banned.

Trump and Zinke have also recommended the elimination of millions of acres from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. In addition, the Interior Secretary would like to see reductions at two other monuments in the U.S. West and modifications to rules at six others, to allow commercial fishing in protected marine reserves.

READ MORE: Which US Monuments Are on the Chopping Block?

The continued success of America's national parks is immensely important to the travel community.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, National Parks remain one of the top leisure travel activities for international visitior to the country, and a 2016 study by the organization showed a rise in the share of travelers choosing parks over other activities.