Trump Administration Withdraws National Park Service Nominee Scott Socha

WASHINGTON, DC - The Trump administration announced today that it has withdrawn its nominee, Scott Socha, to lead the National Park Service.

Socha is an executive at Delaware North, a hospitality company that contracts with NPS to provide services at major parks like Grand Canyon and Yellowstone including lodging, dining, and retail. He had no government experience.

In response to the news, Gerry James, deputy director of the Sierra Club's Outdoors For All campaign, issued the following statement:

"The withdrawal of this nomination is an opportunity to reset. The next National Park Service leader must make good on a promise to the parks, not just in words but in action. That means restoring staffing and capacity, rejecting the whitewashing of history, protecting the full and complex stories of our public lands, strengthening infrastructure and visitor experiences, and ensuring these places are accessible and welcoming to all."