- The White House withdrew the nomination of Scott Socha as director of the National Park Service.
- The hospitality executive had no land management experience, but worked as a park service contractor.
- Some conservationists say the withdrawal provides an opportunity to reset.
Three months after nominating Scott Socha to be the next National Park Service director, the White House pulled him from consideration on Monday. The service has been without a director since January 2025.
Socha was a 27-year veteran of large-scale hospitality and food and beverage concessions. He had no prior experience working in government or land management.
At the time of his nomination, a White House spokesperson told the Associated Press that Socha was “totally qualified.”
“Scott looks forward to implementing America First initiatives,” the spokesperson said, “such as increasing park access for American families, reducing permitting burdens and raising money for conservation projects.”
That sentiment ended seemingly abruptly on Monday when the White House withdrew Socha’s nomination without explanation.
Time to reset?
When first introduced, Socha’s nomination was not universally met with approval. Some conservationists and park advocates voiced concern that he worked for Delaware North, a National Park System concessionaire since at least the 1980s.
Some saw that association as a potential benefit. The National Park Conservation Association expressed a willingness to work with him during a challenging time for the park service.
“The park service director must reverse course on the damage that’s been done to parks and park staff over the last year. If confirmed, he must put the park service’s mission first, stand up for park staff, fill critical vacancies and halt attacks on our nation’s history,” said Theresa Pierno, NPCA president and CEO. “Our national parks need strong, sensible leadership now more than ever before. Given Mr. Socha’s years of experience working with the park service, we hope he will be that leader. NPCA stands ready to work with him.“
Some conservationists are ready to move on to a different candidate.
“The withdrawal of this nomination is an opportunity to reset,” Gerry James, a deputy director with the Sierra Club, said in a statement. “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.”
Aaron Weiss, the deputy director of the Center for Western Priorities was more blunt.
“We’ve said all along that Scott Socha was deeply unqualified to run the National Park Service. Our parks deserve far better than someone who spent his entire career trying to privatize them. President Trump should have no problem finding a qualified leader inside NPS … unless they’ve all taken (Interior Secretary) Doug Burgum’s latest buyout offer.”