The Trump administration on Monday, April 27, withdrew Scott Socha as its pick to run the National Park Service, ending a nomination that had drawn criticism from public lands advocates since February. The White House published Socha among a list of withdrawals Monday afternoon and gave no reason for the move.
The nomination had been controversial because Socha was a longtime executive with Delaware North, a foodservice and management company that provides concessions and management at some National Park Service sites but does not directly oversee the parks or rangers. He had no prior experience in public land management, unlike the three previous heads of the agency, who all spent lengthy careers overseeing public land.
The withdrawal was first reported by E&E News and quickly drew praise from critics of the nomination. Aaron Weiss called Socha “deeply unqualified to run the National Park Service” and said parks deserve far better than someone who spent a career trying to privatize them. He also said President Trump should have no trouble finding a qualified leader inside the Park Service, unless they had all taken Doug Burgum’s latest buyout offer.
Gerry James called the withdrawal an “opportunity to reset,” saying the next National Park Service leader must prove a promise to the parks “not just in words but in action.” He said that means restoring staffing and capacity, rejecting the whitewashing of history, protecting the full and complex stories of public lands, strengthening infrastructure and visitor experiences, and ensuring the places are accessible and welcoming to all. Theresa Pierno said that if confirmed, a leader must put the Park Service’s mission first, stand up for staff, fill critical vacancies, and halt attacks on the nation’s history.
The decision leaves the Park Service back at the starting line, with the administration now under pressure to name a nominee with actual public land credentials. For critics, Monday’s withdrawal was less a surprise than a correction.