The US Forest Service is set to terminate roughly 3,400 recent hires, while the National Park Service will let go about 1,000 workers as part of federal budget cuts initiated under Donald Trump. This decision disproportionately impacts employees on probation, which encompasses those hired within the last year. The cuts represent a significant 10% reduction for the Forest Service and 5% for the National Park Service, affecting key natural sites. The NPCA has expressed concerns regarding the implications of these staffing reductions on visitor experiences and the increasing demands on the national park system.
The cuts represent about 10% of the Forest Service workforce and about 5% of National Park Service employees, but excludes firefighters, law enforcement and certain meteorologists.
The NPCA warned that staffing levels are not keeping pace with increasing demands on the national park system, which saw 325m visits in 2023 alone.
Kristen Brengel, the NPCA's senior vice-president of government affairs, warned that visitors could now be faced with overflowing trash, uncleaned bathrooms and fewer rangers.
The administration's late January order from the White House office of management and budget surprised the National Park Service, pausing federal grants.
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