Under the Trump administration, about 1,000 permanent National Park Service employees and over 3,000 U.S. Forest Service workers were abruptly fired on Feb. 14, 2025. As part of a greater push to decrease the federal workforce, the layoffs have left park workers devastated and are a looming threat to the future of these beloved parks and our environment as a whole.
The National Parks are essential to protecting local ecosystems, preserving natural resources and making nature an accessible and educational experience for everyone. According to a report by Vox, the number of people visiting National Parks in 2023 was over 325 million, a 16 percent increase since 2010. However, the park service staffing has decreased even before the recent cuts, dropping 13 percent. With further layoffs, maintaining these parks will become increasingly difficult to manage. So much work goes into the operation and conservation of these areas — without the effort of National Park service employees, the parks would not be able to function.
For instance, safety for visitors of the parks is now more of a concern. According to a PBS interview, former National Park ranger at Badlands National Park in South Dakota, Lydia Jones, was abruptly laid off on Valentine’s Day. “A lot of times, the park staff there are going to be the first people to be on scene to provide sometimes lifesaving care to these patients and these visitors,” Jones said in the interview. Trails may also be more dangerous in the absence of the staff who clear the logs and trees for hikers. Trash may pile up, which is not only a safety hazard for attracting wildlife but also detrimental to these ecosystems.
The effect of these layoffs has devastated not only the parks but ultimately the people who have lost careers they have dedicated years of their lives to. Via his viral instagram post, Alex Wild lost his job as a permanent park ranger without any warning. “My heart is broken for all of the other people who lost their jobs and their housing. My heart is broken for the parks and landscapes that will be damaged. And my heart is broken for my country,” Wild wrote in his post.
Protests have sparked against the cuts across the parks. Staff at Yosemite National Park hung an upside-down American flag on the face of El Capitan, people gathered at Zion, Joshua Tree and Rocky Mountain to voice their anger.
The National Park and U.S. Forest Service layoffs are exemplary of how little the presidential administration values both federal employees and natural conservation. The future of the National Parks and the staff who work tirelessly to ensure their operation are in critical danger. It is imperative to speak up about this issue in order to enact change, for the parks and the people who treasure them.
