Major League Baseball has approached the Trump administration about a potential game at a national park, according to White House and the league, which confirmed to The Washington Post on Saturday, September 26.
The White House stated that the National Park Service has not told MLB to go along with their idea at this time, given they have not granted them permits to proceed. According to two sources telling the outlet, MLB is currently scouting to build a baseball park in Grand Teton National Park, located in northwest Wyoming.
“This is not a Presidential directive, nor is it being directed by the White House. It's also not being driven by the Department of Interior,” the statement said. “Therefore, this is not a White House or Administration priority.”
This follows President Donald Trump removing resources from national parks in his second term of presidency. He has issued $900 million in cuts to the operation of national parks, $73 million cut to park construction funding, $77 million cut to recreation and preservation funding, and $197 million cut to the Historic Preservation Fund. There have also been cuts to staffing for national parks.
Article Continues Below“This is the most extreme, unrealistic, and destructive National Park Service budget a President has ever proposed in the agency’s 109-year history. It’s nothing less than an all-out assault on America’s national parks,” Theresa Pierno, President and CEO, National Parks Conservation Association, said in a statement of the budget cuts.
He has even suggested that they could no longer be a responsibility of the federal government, with the administration eyeing the land to be sold or given to private development.
As for the White House, they are seemingly not too concerned about the potential of a game at a national park.
“If the MLB wants to go on site visits of national parks, that is their prerogative,” the White House said in its statement.