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Fast forward almost 153 years, and President Donald Trump initiated a large-scale dismissal of roughly 1,000 park service employees. Many of these people were in a "probationary period," meaning they were either new to their positions or had recently transferred to different parks or changed jobs within the NPS. These February layoffs came after a hiring freeze and a buyout offer in January. The buyout was extended to over 2 million full-time federal employees, encouraging early retirement and resignation, including those working for the NPS.
Following these significant NPS staff reductions, The Associated Press reported that the government is reinstating around 50 NPS positions and hiring up to 7,700 seasonal workers. This is an increase from the typical 3-year average of 6,350 seasonal workers that the park service usually hires.
It's challenging to determine the exact state of the NPS after the series of firings, resignations, and new hires. However, visitors should anticipate some changes to their park experiences.
Are national parks safe and ready for 2025?
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What does this mean for the NPS?
A spokesperson for the NPS informed that while they are following the federal hiring freeze, "the order does allow for exceptions to hire for certain jobs" and that "the NPS is evaluating our most vital staffing needs for park operations this coming season and is working to fill essential roles."
Worries about staffing are made worse by the fact that park staff numbers have already decreased in recent years, according to Philip Francis, who worked for the park service for more than 40 years and now sits on the executive council for The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks.
"I checked some budget information from the 2010 fiscal year and compared it to the number of employees we had in the 2023 fiscal year, and the park service has lost thousands of positions during that period," he said. "And, this has happened while more parks have been added to the system and visitor numbers have reached new highs." (The NPS saw over 281 million visitors in 2010 and 325 million visitors in 2023, after a record high of over 330 million people in 2016.)
What's the impact on national parks?
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Changes in NPS staffing have already affected several parks. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado announced on social media that it will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays due to "insufficient staff" starting on February 24. And Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, told The AP that all but one of the leadership roles at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming were cut, leaving only one person to handle the hiring, training, and oversight of new seasonal workers.
These are only a couple of the numerous parks that have been impacted by the federal directive.
How will this affect visitors?
The big question is how the park visit will be for the over 300 million people planning a national park trip in 2025.
Francis pointed out that the hiring freeze, resignations, and layoffs "could affect how quickly certain park areas open like the visitor center and campgrounds," and "might cause trash-filled campsites or unclean, poorly supplied restrooms."
Visitor safety is also a major concern for Francis. "Not everyone is familiar with parks, and they can sometimes be very dangerous," he said. (The NPS reported that from 2014 to 2019, there were 2,149 deaths in national parks, including 314 accidental drownings and 205 accidental falls.)
Alex Wild, who lost his permanent job as a park ranger at Yosemite National Park, called the firings "completely careless" on Instagram, saying, "I'm the only EMT at my park and the first responder for any emergency."
In a letter on February 7 to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, 22 U.S. senators wrote, "Americans visiting national parks this summer and in the future shouldn't have their vacations ruined by entirely avoidable – and totally irresponsible – staffing issues. And local businesses shouldn't have their incomes destroyed for political reasons."
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