National Parks and Public Lands Policy

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered more than 200 California state parks to waive vehicle day‑use fees on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19, 2026, directly rebuking the Trump administration’s decision to drop MLK Day, Juneteenth and National Public Lands Day from the 2026 list of fee‑free national park days. The new federal calendar instead adds dates such as Flag Day—which coincides with Trump’s birthday—Constitution Day, the National Park Service’s 110th anniversary and Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday. Newsom accused Trump of trying to "erase Dr. King’s legacy" and said California would "answer with light" by opening state parks, with the California State Parks Foundation—rather than taxpayers—covering the cost of free entry. Democratic allies framed the move as a way to keep access to public lands tied to civil‑rights history, especially as the country approaches the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. The announcement folds into a broader clash between blue states and Washington over how public institutions mark Black history and who gets affordable access to parks and monuments.