Private Tourism Exec Drops Bid To Head National Park Service: "Did Not Want To Face Financial Scrutiny, Sell Assets"

President Donald Trump has withdrawn his nominee for the head the National Park Service, as the agency heads into peak tourist season without a chief and amid low staffing levels following the administration’s efforts to shrink the federal government. The White House announced the decision on its website Monday. The Interior Department, which oversees the Park Service, and the White House did not respond to questions on why the administration withdrew Scott Socha, a tourism executive, from consideration.

A White House official and another person familiar with the matter, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said Socha decided to withdraw his own nomination rather than being asked to do so.

Socha made a “purely personal decision” as he did not want to face the financial scrutiny of the confirmation process or to sell off certain assets he held, according to the person familiar with the matter. There were no red flags, and the administration otherwise still had confidence to move ahead with his nomination, the person said. Socha did not respond to a request for comment via social media.

The administration has cut a quarter of the Park Service staff, or about 4,000 people, since Trump took office, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group. Trump’s budget proposal for 2027 calls for cutting the agency’s budget by an additional 25 percent. “It’s very unfortunate that our parks have gone more than a year without a permanent director at a time when they need strong, steady leadership the most,” Emily Douce, acting vice president of government affairs for the NPCA, said in a statement. “The next Park Service Director must undo the damage done to our parks and staff.”

EDIT

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/04/28/scott-socha-national-park-service/

https://wapo.st/49hcZqq