A recent cut to staffing within the National Parks Service is sparking criticism and concern. Some of the backlash involves anticipated issues with visitor experience as the busy summer season approaches.

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

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National Park staffing cuts cause concern ahead of the busy summer season

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer)

National Park advocates are concerned over recent cuts to the National Park Service. The Trump administration fired around 1,000 NPS workers.
Park officials said the cuts could lead to visitor centers closing, lines becoming longer and a decrease in regular restroom maintenance.
The NPS is reinstating about 5,000 seasonal jobs.

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A recent cut to staffing within the National Park Service (NPS) is sparking criticism and concern. Some of the backlash involves anticipated issues with visitor experience as the busy summer season approaches.

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On Friday, Feb. 14, the Trump administration fired approximately 1,000 National Park Service employees following spending cuts suggested by the Department of Government Efficiency.

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According to The Associated Press, the NPS now says it is reinstating about 5,000 seasonal jobs that were initially terminated as part of a spending freeze ordered by President Donald Trump.

How might the cuts impact visitors?

Park advocates said the permanent staff cuts will leave hundreds of national parks understaffed. This will leave parks with tough decisions about operating hours, public safety and resource protection.

President of the National Parks Conservation Association Theresa Pierno called the cuts “reckless.”

“Park staff work tirelessly to protect our nation’s most treasured places, from Yosemite to Gettysburg. They educate visitors, safeguard history and preserve what makes our country special,” she added. “This isn’t how we treat the places we cherish or those who protect them. We’re calling on our leaders to prioritize our parks and the staff who keep them safe and running.”

Other park officials said the staff cuts could lead to visitor centers closing, lines becoming longer and a decrease in regular restroom maintenance.

Some of the fired park rangers shared on social media how the cuts will impact visitors.

“Make sure you research the places that you’re going and you know what you’re getting into because there may not be anybody to help you if you get yourself in trouble,” Instagram user @deetheranger said.

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A post shared by Dee | Outdoor Travel (@deetheranger)

Alex Wild said in a Facebook post, “I honestly can’t imagine how the parks will operate without my position. I mean, they just can’t. I am the only EMT at my park and the first responder for any emergency.”

Brian Gibbs posted a tribute to his former role, calling himself a “dedicated civil servant” describing the job as everything from the “smiling face that greets you at the door” to “the defender of your public lands and waters.”

Who supports NPS cuts?

Meanwhile, Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., applauded DOGE for its focus on national parks. He said he believes the parks are in “pretty good shape.”

“I like what DOGE is doing,” Zinke added. “Let’s shake it up, because business as usual is not working in the great outdoors.”

Zinke’s state is home to Glacier National Park and part of Yellowstone National Park, two of the country’s most popular national parks.

According to the NPS, more than 325 million people visited the nation’s 428 national parks, historic sites and other attractions in 2023.

Tags: DOGE, Donald Trump, Government funding, Layoffs, National Park Service, National Parks, Yellowstone National Park

[Craig]

A RECENT CUT TO STAFFING WITHIN THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IS SPARKING CRITICISM AND CONCERN.

SOME OF THE BACKLASH INVOLVES ANTICIPATED ISSUES WITH VISITOR EXPERIENCE AS THE BUSY SUMMER SEASON APPROACHES.

LAST WEEK, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FIRED APPROXIMATELY ONE-THOUSAND NATIONAL PARK EMPLOYEES FOLLOWING SPENDING CUTS SUGGESTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY.

ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, THE PARK SERVICE NOW SAYS IT IS REINSTATING ABOUT 5-THOUSAND *SEASONAL* JOBS THAT WERE INITIALLY TERMINATED AS PART OF A SPENDING FREEZE ORDERED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP.

BUT, PARK ADVOCATES SAY THE *PERMANENT* STAFF CUTS WILL LEAVE HUNDREDS OF NATIONAL PARKS UNDERSTAFFED – FACING TOUGH DECISIONS ABOUT OPERATING HOURS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND RESOURCE PROTECTION.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION CALLED THE CUTS “RECKLESS” ADDING …

“PARK STAFF WORK TIRELESSLY TO PROTECT OUR NATION’S MOST TREASURED PLACES, FROM YOSEMITE TO GETTYSBURG. THEY EDUCATE VISITORS, SAFEGUARD HISTORY AND PRESERVE WHAT MAKES OUR COUNTRY SPECIAL. THIS ISN’T HOW WE TREAT THE PLACES WE CHERISH OR THOSE WHO PROTECT THEM. WE’RE CALLING ON OUR LEADERS TO PRIORITIZE OUR PARKS AND THE STAFF WHO KEEP THEM SAFE AND RUNNING.”

OTHER PARK OFFICIALS SAY THE STAFF CUTS COULD LEAD TO VISITOR CENTERS CLOSING, LINES BECOMING LONGER AND A DECREASE IN REGULAR RESTROOM MAINTENANCE.

SOME OF THE FIRED PARK RANGERS ARE SHARING TO SOCIAL MEDIA HOW THE CUTS WILL IMPACT VISITORS …

my name is Dee and I’m a park ranger or I was a park ranger.

make sure you research the places that you’re going and you know what youre getting into because there may not be anybody to help you if you get yourself in trouble.

ANOTHER POSTED … “I HONESTLY CAN’T IMAGINE HOW THE PARKS WILL OPERATE WITHOUT MY POSITION. I MEAN, THEY JUST CAN’T. I AM THE ONLY E-M-T AT MY PARK AND THE FIRST RESPONDER FOR ANY EMERGENCY.”

ANOTHER POSTED A TRIBUTE HIS FORMER ROLE, CALLING HIMSELF A “DEDICATED CIVIL SERVANT” DESCRIBING THE JOB AS EVERYTHING FROM THE “SMILING FACE THAT GREETS YOU AT THE DOOR” TO “THE DEFENDER OF YOUR PUBLIC LANDS AND WATERS.”

MEANWHILE REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE RYAN ZINKE OF MONTANA IS APPLAUDING DOGE FOR ITS FOCUS ON NATIONAL PARKS.

I think the parks are pretty good shape

I like what DOGE is doing. Let’s shake it up, because business as usual is not working in the great outdoors. We’re burning our forests up.. We’re not using our resources wisely”

ZINKE’S STATE IS HOME TO GLACIER NATIONAL PARK AND PART OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, TWO OF THE COUNTRY’S MOST POPULAR NATIONAL PARKS.

ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE MORE THAN 325 MILLION PEOPLE VISITED THE NATION’S 428 NATIONAL PARKS, HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS IN 20-23.

FOR SAN, I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.

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