Staffing reductions and a hiring freeze leave national parks struggling ahead of peak season.
Thousands of federal employees at the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service (NPS) are losing their jobs as part of the Trump administration’s budget reduction plan, raising concerns about national park maintenance and wildfire preparedness.
What’s Happening?
The layoffs will primarily impact probationary employees, with the Forest Service cutting 3,400 jobs and NPS letting go of 1,000 workers—amounting to 10% of the Forest Service workforce and 5% of NPS staff. In addition, a federal hiring freeze has rescinded over 2,000 job offers for seasonal and permanent positions.
These cuts come at a time when national parks are seeing record-breaking visitor numbers, leading experts to warn of declining park conditions, staffing shortages, and reduced fire prevention efforts.
How Will This Affect National Parks?
With fewer rangers and maintenance staff, visitors could see:
Overflowing trash and uncleaned restrooms due to understaffed maintenance teams.
Fewer rangers available to provide assistance and safety guidance.
Longer wait times at park entrances and visitor centers.
Kristen Brengel, Senior VP at the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), warned that these cuts could significantly diminish the visitor experience, stating:
“Visitors from around the world come to our national parks expecting a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but instead could be met with overflowing trash, uncleaned bathrooms, and fewer rangers to provide guidance.”
Wildfire Prevention at Risk
The timing of these cuts is particularly concerning for wildfire prevention efforts. Seasonal firefighter hiring has been stalled, and more than 30 federal grants for wildfire mitigation projects have been frozen.
Marko Bey, Executive Director of the Lomakatsi Restoration Project, highlighted the issue in a letter to Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR):
“The funding freeze has impacted more than 30 separate grants and agreements… already putting work on the ground.”
The staffing shortages come just months ahead of peak wildfire season, raising fears that understaffed crews may struggle to contain blazes that have already been worsening due to climate change.
Congressional Response
Democratic lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to restore funding for:
✅ Wildfire prevention programs
✅ National park maintenance
✅ Seasonal firefighter hiring
Advocacy groups, such as Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, argue that the hiring freeze is worsening an already dire retention problem in wildfire response efforts.
“The agencies already have had a recruitment and retention problem. This just exacerbates that problem,” said Riva Duncan, the group’s Vice President.
The Bigger Picture
The administration’s broader budget-cutting efforts have also included ending remote work for federal employees, forcing 2,800 NPS workers back to in-person roles. This shift could prompt resignations, particularly among employees living in high-cost areas near national parks where affordable housing is limited.
While the White House temporarily reversed a funding freeze in late January, uncertainty remains over long-term staffing and resource availability for national parks and wildfire prevention.
What’s Next?
With summer approaching, park officials and wildfire response teams are scrambling to adjust to reduced resources. Without additional funding, national parks could struggle to meet visitor demand, and fire-prone regions may face increased risks due to delays in hiring critical personnel.
