The Office of International Affairs (National Park Service) has been abolished. My primary contact within the department has been pushed toward early retirement.

The Civil Rights Movement Sites nomination dossier which is nearly (if not fully) complete, is on HOLD. Unless the Department of the Interior makes a decision to approve it soon, I suspect it will be set aside. The Department of Interior has already stated World Heritage is not a priority. No new nominations are likely to be approved until at least 2030 and an updated Tentative List is delayed indefinitely.

Tragic and infuriating.

After UNESCO now is IUCN!

Surprise that ICOMOS is not on Trump list

https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/trump-administration-pulls-out-key-global-environmental-organizations

Give it a couple of weeks

US ICOMOS, now called World Heritage USA is not funded by the Federal Government, thus it has not been on the 'chopping block' so to speak. They are also not particularly restricted by the current administration regarding activities or agenda (as far as I can see). Just a few weeks ago World Heritage USA participated in the 'Regional Scientific Symposium of the Americas' in Mexico.

"Presentations were based on the themes of cultural and natural heritage in regional development, transborder heritage in the Americas, migration in border contexts and ICOMOS in the Americas 60th anniversary."

As you can see, there is no alignment with priorities of the White House with World Heritage USA. In fact, completing the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro world heritage site was much discussed.

I have now updated the Connections accordingly: withdrawal of the Commandment Star from Yellowstone and Yosemite, addition of foreigner pricing to the ones in bold in winterkjm's original post.

If you're a non-resident and are planning a trip, look at this handy overview: https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/entrance-fee-prices.htm?park=&state=&entrancePassRequired

Quick update in regards to US nominations after some of my inquires were answered. Okefenokee has not been withdrawn, so it should move forward as normal. Secondly, the Civil Rights Movement Sites nomination is not ready for 2027. I am not informed regarding if the Department of Interior in the US would decline or approve the submission of a nomination dossier in the future.

Blimey, I had missed this detail:

I wonder if any European countries will counter by adding a €100 to entry fees for US citizens. The faff and admin involved probably rules it out.
That is something which makes me a little sceptical of how rigidly this will be policed at these US parks. When we visited last August we twice drove through entrances where there were no staff, and the one time there was a queue the ticket checkers were keen to just get us through a quickly as possible they barely checked our pass let alone any ID

According to NPS data 25% of all permanent staff of the park service has been laid off or pushed into early retirement. About 15% percent of all staff are no longer employed with the NPS. Not sure how less staff + more criteria for entry will play out in the Spring and Summer. Perhaps, a huge dip in foreign visitors will lead to less visitors overall, but I suspect some of the most iconic National Parks (Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon) will remain busy during peak season.

I found this report from World Heritage USA (ICOMOS) interesting.

The United States Withdrawal from UNESCO and Pending World Heritage Nominations

Firstly it mentions how the EL CAMINO REAL DE TIERRA ADENTRO extension by the US and Mexico is nearing completion.

"The nomination, which has been pursued binationally between the U.S. and Mexico since 2009, is on a fast track to be completed before the end of 2026. The Task Force for this nomination is collaborating closely with Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (Spanish acronym: INAH) to prepare all the nomination documents for formal inscription. Additionally, the Task Force is working closely with the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of International Affairs to position the site in the U.S. Tentative List and to formalize a partnership with Mexico."

This report was published on February 12, 2026, but I am perplexed. It mentions working with the Department of the Interior and even the NPS Office of International Affairs? The later is more or less abolished. Moreover, UNESCO and future nominations have been stated to be 'not a priority' of the current administration and head leadership at Interior. Lastly, SERPENT MOUND is mentioned, but no update on any future nomination, only simply how US Withdrawal (scheduled for December 31, 2026) from UNESCO would delay its potential listing for years to come.

Current Status of US World Heritage Program & Existing Tentative List

Tentative List 2007-2008
Federal Register Notice: 10/31/2007
Date of Submission UNESCO: 01/30/2008

Remaining Nominations from 2008 Tentative List (8)
- Civil Rights Movement Sites (completed preliminary evaluation)
- Dayton Aviation Sites
- Thomas Jefferson Buildings
- Mount Vernon
- Serpent Mound
- Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (evaluated for 2026)
- Petrified Forest National Park
- White Sands National Monument

Tentative List 2016-2017
Federal Register Notice: 12/09/2016
Date of Submission UNESCO: 04/12/2017

Remaining Nominations from 2008 Tentative List (9)
- Brooklyn Bridge
- Ellis Island
- Central Park (submitted preliminary assessment 2024)
- Early Chicago Skyscrapers
- Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument
- California Current Conservation Complex
- Marianas Trench Marine National Monument
- Marine Protected Areas of American Samoa
- Big Bend National Park

US / Mexico Binational Nominations Initiative: World Heritage USA Task Force Update
- El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (on a fast track to be completed before the end of 2026)

As previously mentioned, the United States intends to exit UNESCO in effect December 31, 2026. However, there is some uncertainty how this effects the three active nominations (Okefenokee, Civil Rights, Central Park) and the planned extension: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. During the previous US withdrawal effective December 31, 2018 and up to the decision to rejoin UNESCO effective July 11, 2023 witnessed one new inscription (FLW Architecture) and one new nomination submitted (Hopewell). Thus nominations may continue as before, but the broader US withdrawal from the UN is more pronounced in both participation and funding. It remains to be seen how the Department of Interior will respond to an official request to submit a nomination file in the near future.

For non-residents looking to visit the US (despite __________ ) *reasons someone might avoid a visit currently

A visit to New York and California for 10-14 days (total) can get you 5 WHS and 4 TWHS with relative ease at an affordable cost (Yosemite not included). The absurd cost for many National Parks for 2026 make a visit to many other regions of the US less than ideal for the budget conscious traveller.

New York
- View of Statue of Liberty (Liberty Cruise $23)
- Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island ($32)
- Central Park (Free)
- FLW Architecture: Guggenheim (pay what you wish Saturday 5pm - 7:45pm)
- Brooklyn Bridge (Free)
- Moravian Bethlehem (Free)
- Independence Hall ($1 online reservation)

California
- FLW Architecture: Hollyhock House ($12)
- California Current Ecosystem (Point Reyes and several other protected areas: Free)
- Redwood National and State Parks (Free)

Perhaps some insight into the prospects for new US nominations to come even under the current Administration.

World Heritage USA: 2026 Annual Symposium (July 2026)

Program details are public and one session in particular stands out.

Shaping the Future of U.S. World Heritage: The U.S. Tentative List and Future World Heritage Sites
Focusing on both established and prospective sites, this session explores how the U.S. Tentative List functions as a pipeline for World Heritage nominations. Panelists will discuss sites currently on the list, as well as those in earlier stages of consideration, and will address policy considerations, gaps in representation, and the evolving framework guiding U.S. participation in the World Heritage program.

Featuring:
- Dr. Glenn T. Eskew, Director, Georgia State University World Heritage Initiative – Moderator
- Gilbert Correa, World Heritage Nominations Initiative Director, ICOMOS-USA
- Michael Romero Taylor, Senior Advisor of the U.S. / Mexico Binational Nominations Initiative
- Dr. Kwesie Daniels, Department Head of the Architecture Department at Tuskegee University
- Maren Lankford, Director of Special Projects, President's Office, Central Park Conservancy

This makes me hopeful for the Civil Rights Movement nomination in 2028 and the Central Park nomination in 2029. World Heritage USA will post the symposium video in full on their youtube page soon after the meeting.

winterkjm
I wonder if Central Park nomination in 2029 will be a transnational nomination along with Birkenhead Park given their intrinsic links. Birkenhead Park appears to be an on and off again site. It was an earlier Nominated Site, removed from the Nomination list and placed back on the Tentative list and now seems to be nominated again in 2029?

I was reading about the Eastern State Penitentiary today and thought I would check if they were ever on the tenative list for the USA. It turns out they were defered from the 2008 nomination list (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/internationalcooperation/upload/TL_portfolio.pdf). It seems that there was a whole list of sites that were to be considered for a future date including some that have since been added to the Tentative List in 2017.

About a month ago, the CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary wrote a post on Linkedin about pursuing World Heritage Status. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kerrysautner_it-is-never-too-late-to-celebrate-international-ugcPost-7452517329734852608-WmhU/

With the lack of prisons on the list, and with the US having such a prominent example (it gets referenced by UNESCO and ICOMOS assessments for other sites), I personally think this would be a great nomination. I last visited in 2009 when I was in Philadelphia, but I recall it being a very rich and interesting visit. Is this something others think is likely to be nominated again? I know the US list is up for review next year, but with the depature from UNESCO, I'm not sure I understand if that's a possibility.