Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told the National Park Service on Friday that he wanted to personally approve any new projects funded through fees paid by park visitors/NPS file

Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Friday ordered the National Park Service not to launch any projects or programs funded through recreation fees and intended for use in improving the visitor experience.

More so, the acting secretary told the agency that he wants to review all "project descriptions and project cost information" for those paid for with funds collected under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, and personally approve those not already under way.

"Please stay tuned for more information - we may need to refine these instructions as we continue to discuss this with the Acting Secretary," wrote Lena McDowall, the Park Service's deputy director for management and administration in an email to regional directors, deputy regional directors, and assistant regional directors that was obtained by the Traveler. "To conduct this review, Acting Secretary Bernhardt has requested information on every project planned for this fiscal year. He will be reviewing project descriptions and project cost information for all FLREA projects. Please note that he will review this information for projects already underway as well as for those not yet started."

The directive comes two months after Bernhardt gave the Park Service permission to use FLREA funds -- up to a quarter-billion dollars, if necessary -- to send additional staff into the National Park System during the partial government shutdown to clean up after visitors. The move was criticized at the time by park advocacy groups and some members of Congress as a highly questionable and possibly illegal use of the revenues.

It also comes just three days before President Trump is to present his Fiscal 2020 budget proposal to Congress, a proposal that reportedly will propose significant budget cuts across domestic programs.

Park Service personnel Friday morning began preparing spreadsheets for the acting secretary that would outline the planned projects and their costs.

"We will know more about what additional instructions the Acting Secretary may have for us once he begins reviewing projects," wrote McDowall. "Please ensure that all of your parks and programs receive this directive."

As FLREA was envisioned and set up, the revenues from entrance fees and other approved programs are to go to enhance the visitor experience. That could be through better facilities, more interpretive programs, or restored habitat.

Some of those funds also typically are spent on seasonal positions, such as staffing campgrounds. With that money put in question during the partial government shutdown, it was feared that it could throw a wrench into summer hiring plans, as the National Park Service's human resources offices in January normally would be moving into the introductory steps of organizing this summer's hiring.

Additionally, more than 55 percent of the fees typically go towards deferred maintenance projects, so handcuffing the Park Service's ability to use those funds could add to the maintenance backlog, estimated at $11.9 billion at the end of Fiscal 2018.