National park maintenance work sidelined as Trump’s Freedom 250 takes precedence

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – The 250th anniversary of U.S.

What happened

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – The 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence was just months away when National Park Service employees received a surprising directive from Washington: Maintenance projects approved for this year at sites throughout the nation were being relegated to a new "low priority" list.

Work wanted by the White House was taking precedence, including repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and three authorities from the park service and Interior Department who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Notably, the reflecting pool repairs and other projects tied to President Donald Trump's Freedom 250 initiative landed on a separate list for White House priorities, the documents show. Though the reflecting pool repairs were botched, plenty of of the administration-backed projects have advanced.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around national park maintenance work sidelined as Trumps Freedom 250 takes precedence point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.