NPS To TRNHA: You’re Fired!

I’m guessing almost all of my regular readers have visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota’s Bad Lands. And I’m also guessing that most of you have stopped at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center along I-94, about a dozen miles east of the Park’s main entrance in Medora.

The observation deck at the visitor center offers what is perhaps the most beautiful view in all of North Dakota—the park’s Painted Canyon. To get to that deck you walk through one of the National Park Service’s best Visitor Centers. Since 1979, almost 50 years now, that center has been staffed by summer workers hired by a non-profit organization, the Theodore Roosefelt Nature and History Association (TRNHA). They operate a wonderful gift shop, selling clothing, books, maps, water bottles, snacks, hiking gear and a wide variety of other products enjoyed by travelers and national park visitors.

No more. Not this summer. Maybe never again.

Earlier this month the TRNHA received a letter from Herbert Frost, the National Park Service’s Regional Director based in Omaha, that started with:

“This letter serves as formal notification that the National Park Service is terminating the Standard Cooperating Association Agreement between the National Park Service and the Theodore Roosevelt Nature and History Association . . . effective June 6, 2026, 30 days from verbal notice to you on May 7, 2026.”

So, in addition to the Painted Canyon gift shop, TRNHA also has gift shops in visitors centers in the Park’s South Unit in Medora, the North Unit south of Watford City, and Knife River Indian Village National Historic Site at Stanton. Because of the now-canceled agreement, the Park Service has only had to provide rangers to answer visitor questions and provide maintenance of the buildings and grounds at those visitor centers.

In his letter to TRNHA, Regional Director Frost referred to the terms of the agreement, which said the NPS could “terminate the Agreement for the convenience of the Government at any time.”

Well. “for the convenience of the Government.” Never mind that a nonprofit organization, which has shelled out more than half a million dollars for its inventory for the summer, and hired staff, likely college students, who are about to depart for their summer jobs in North Dakota, might be more than a little bit inconvenienced.

I know about this because I am a longtime member of TRNHA, and I got a notice about the termination from the TRNHA staff this week. This makes me really sad. And really angry.

So what happened? Why did the National Park Service do this?

Notice I said “the National Park Service,” not the superintendent of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a nice lady named Rachel Daniels. I talked to Superintendent Daniels about this. She couldn’t say much about it. These are matters best discussed with superiors at the NPS’s Midwest Regional Office in Omaha. They made this decision. Or someone higher up. Like the National Parks Director. Who works for the Secretary of the Interior. Who just happens to be pretty familiar with North Dakota.

But I had a pleasant conversation with Superintendent Daniels. She’s new here–she just came to the park last summer. So this is kind of bad timing for her. I jokingly said I was going to start my story with “Things were just fine at the visitor center gift shops at Theodore Roosevelt National Park until Rachel Daniels became superintendent.” That made her a little nervous, until I said I was joking.

For now, she has to figure out how to replace TRNHA. There will be no merchandise for sale in either of the park’s North and South Units as of June 6, the official termination date, although she said she was still trying to figure out how to deal with this. Maybe a new non-profit could take over. But it’s pretty late to get that going for anyone. This is really bad timing. With the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library this summer, we could have a million people visiting out there (annual park visitation averages about 700,000).

Here’s the status report I got from the TRNHA office Friday:

Painted Canyon

 As of today, the visitor center is not open. But it’s a big place, and it is set up with merchandise in preparation for the visitor season. All merchandise and store displays will be removed before June 6. Superintendent Daniels wasn’t sure when the center will be open to visitors. Last year more than 100,000 visitors stopped there.

TRNP North Unit

All merchandise and store displays will be removed and store will be closed as of May 25. Next week.

TRNP South Unit

All merchandise and store displays will be removed by June 6. The store in the visitor center store closes May 31. NPS has not shared their future plans.

Knife River Indian Villages NHS

Store closed, merchandise already removed.

The cancelation of the agreement is not just bad news for TRNHA. It’s bad news for the park too. At the end of each year, the Association turns over the profits from the stores to the Park. Since 1951, when the agreement was first signed, the Association has given the Park $2,113,994. For the past three years, the gift to the Park has averaged $188,000. This year, because of anticipated increases in visitation due to the opening of the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora (which, by the way, will have its own gift shop), the Association estimated they would give the Park $230,000. I didn’t ask Superintendent Daniels how they will replace those funds. That amount would pay a lot of seasonal rangers’ salaries.

There are other impacts to TRNHA. The NPS has provided living space in its housing area in Medora to TRNHA staff. They’ll need to find other accommodations. Although the seasonal staff doesn’t exist any more. TRNHA has three full-time employees. I don’t know if they will remain onboard.

 Superintendent Daniels said her own staff will be busy setting up displays in the visitor centers. But the cash registers will likely be gone.

TRNHA will still have one cash register though. They will still maintain an online store. It’s a pretty amazing store, with some of the same wonderful merchandise they have been selling in the stores. THAT store won’t close. You can shop there right now at their website, trnha.org.

But here’s what will be missing. Pretty much every national park has a “Friends” organization operating the way TRNHA does here. They all have a cooperating agreement with each other, so If you’re a member of one of them, when you buy something at one of their stores, you show your card to the checkout person and you get a 15 per cent discount on what you’re buying. I’ve used mine perhaps hundreds of times as I’ve traveled to national parks. There are 63 National Parks. I think I’ve been to 56. And every one of them had a gift shop. But there might not be one here this year. That’s going to trouble a lot of those visitors.

So now, those of us who are members of TRNHA will be talking to our staff and planning the road ahead for our organization. I don’t think our mission will change:

Mission Statement

Providing support, services, and educational merchandise to enhance visitor experience and enjoyment through historical, scientific, and educational activities in Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site.

Take a look at the website to learn more. Heck, if you’re not already a member, join up. New members are always welcome. And if you’re headed out to the Bad Lands this summer, stop at Painted Canyon and take a look at the most spectacular view in North Dakota. The bathrooms will be open. But you won’t be able to buy anything.