In February 2025, Trump’s administration took drastic cuts in the National Park Service by laying off some 1,000 employees. That decision, part of a more comprehensive federal workforce reduction by the Department of Government Efficiency, means shorter hours of operation, reduced services, and growing concerns for the safety and security of the nation’s lands under public protection.
Impacts on Operations in the Park
They leave many of the national parks understaffed, thereby forcing their managers to make hard choices on how they’ll utilize their resources. Decreased hours at visitor centers, unclean bathrooms, postponed maintenance, and closed campgrounds can be expected by tourists at hot spots such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon. Staff cuts put additional important services at risk, including emergency medical response and fire management, with the concomitant risks they pose for visitors and environments alike.
At Yosemite National Park, for instance, managers have delayed the sale of reservations for five campgrounds because those campgrounds cannot be run with the current workforce. The park’s proposal to create a permanent day-use reservation system with which to regulate crowding has also been put on hold due, at least in part, to concerns it would preclude the effective management of visitor surges during high seasons. The operational setback demonstrates how deep-cutting the staff reductions are into park operations and visitor experiences.
Employee Views and Public Reaction
The sudden layoffs have had a deep impact on the lives of committed park workers. Brian Gibbs, a former education ranger at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa, shared his heartbreak at losing his “dream job.” In a poignant message, he shared his fears of how he would take care of his family and the future of public land stewardship. Likewise, Yosemite supervisory scientist Andria Townsend pointed out the possible setbacks to vital conservation projects, including tracking and guarding against the Pacific fisher, a threatened species. Her crew’s work in tracking and protecting the elusive animal has been suspended, threatening its very existence.
Public protests have followed the layoffs. Near Yosemite’s famous El Capitan, a team of six people unfurled an upside-down American flag—a signal for distress—to protest the cutbacks in staffing and bring focus to the alleged attack on public lands. The act of civil disobedience was intended to call attention to the possible exploitation and deterioration of protected lands with reduced oversight and funding.
Broader Implications
A high percentage of these cuts are directly related to short-term operational priorities that could exert pressure on local economies that depend on tourist dollars due to national parks. In the year 2023, visitors to the parks supported 415,000 jobs and generated $55.6 billion in economic output. The projected drop in visitor services and possible park closures could endanger tourism and cripple businesses and communities which have long counted on park income.
”Critics contend the layoffs are short-sighted and will erode both the intrinsic and economic value of national parks.” Phil Francis, president of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, pointed out that the cuts represented ”the last straw for an already beleaguered Park Service” with repercussions that will be felt in our parks for years. Reductions in the number of employees not only disrupt regular work but also put at risk long-term stewardship of the natural and cultural resources that define the nation’s park system.
Looking Ahead
As summer vacation approaches, visitors should anticipate possible disruptions and curtailed services in the national parks. Park supporters are calling for the public to unite behind the remaining staff and do their part to relieve the burden on resources by practicing responsible recreational habits. It is high time to rethink staffing and funding policies so that the national parks can continue to balance public recreation with preserving the nation’s natural heritage for generations to come.
