National parks in the United States are experiencing staffing shortages and budget cuts, impacting their operations. Only about half of the expected seasonal staff are available, affecting essential services and scientific research. Despite this, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum insists National Park Service sites are managing well, keeping parks open even with insufficient staffing. A protest advocating for national parks highlights public concern over these changes. Managing national parks involves complex roles similar to running a city, including environmental services and visitor management, which are now being neglected due to financial constraints.
"We sometimes forget (that) managing a place like Yellowstone or Rocky Mountain or Yosemite is like running a city. In addition to service and public-facing roles, these skilled Americans perform roles like wastewater management, IT, wildfire prevention, species and ecosystem recovery, and beyond."
"While it's true that the country's beloved parks are currently operating with about half of their expected seasonal staff and are bracing for massive budget cuts under the current administration, it's also true that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has gone to great lengths to maintain the façade that National Park Service sites are doing just fine."
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