In the past few months, the Trump administration has fired tens of thousands of federal employees, across multiple federal agencies. This slashing of the federal workforce has been advanced under the banner of trying to root out waste, fraud and inefficiency among the federal workforce. Throughout this campaign, the National Park Service has suffered considerably, and if insufficiently staffed, these precious parks face the threat of entirely collapsing.
At this moment, it is unclear exactly how many National Park Service employees have been lost. Most park websites have yet to publish details on which jobs have been lost amid the culling, and the NPS’s national office has not distributed a list of fired employees. However, nonprofit groups and public webspaces, especially social media platforms, have been working to coordinate the losses. The Association of National Park Rangers has compiled a crowdsourced list that roughly outlines and tracks the firings, but the list is still unofficial. So far reports across different websites and associations range from 750 to 1,000 firings. Concretely, some of the hardest hit parks include the Everglades National Park, Shenandoah National Park, and the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. For instance, the Everglades National Park has lost 15 employees this far. While that number may sound miniscule, it is important to understand that National Parks span thousands of miles and host thousands of visitors every single year. The sheer mass and scale of these public institutions necessitates far more than a skeleton crew. If this understaffing persists, it poses an incredible threat to the preservation of public lands and delicate protected ecosystems.
However, the very tactic of firing being utilized is proving an Achilles’ heel. Critically, the tactic to these firings has been to target probationary employees. Typically, a probationary employee is a recent hire to the agency or a long-serving employee who was moved or promoted into a new position. The second part of this definition, those that are simply being promoted, has served as a crux to both the problem itself and the potential solution to it. To the negative end, it means that highly qualified individuals are being the ones fired, career employees who have worked hard and are moving into higher positions. Those being fired are not only park rangers but educators, biologists, ecologists, and EMTs.
The tragedy of this loss is in some way remedied by its methodical flaw. Because these are highly skilled employees, their terminations are easier to challenge. Initially, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel had been involved on the behalf of federal workers at least until agency head Hampton Dellinger was also fired. Currently the agency’s future remains unclear, but nonetheless individual lawsuits claiming unlawful termination have prevailed. National Parks workers cannot simply be terminated “at will,” there must be a cause for their termination. The template dismissal letters that the Parks were instructed to use often cited unsatisfactory work. However, this is easy to disprove when the worker being fired is one that has won efficiency awards and was in the process of being promoted for their work.
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This information really opened my eyes to a side of national park management I hadn't considered before. I always thought of parks as these timeless, protected spaces, but now I realize how much they depend on dedicated workers to keep them running. The part about highly skilled employees being let go really stuck with me. Losing ecologists and EMTs doesn’t just impact the parks, but also the people and wildlife that rely on them. I’m curious now—how are other countries handling similar challenges in their national parks? Are there better strategies out there? Thanks for sharing this important perspective!
ReplyDeleteIt is disgusting how people who work to protect our National Park have had their careers ruin. People like EMTs who work to save lives at these parks and Rangers who protect wildlife being fired at will. It seems like Trump doesn't care at all about federal workers.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if the national parks are a topic everyone feels similarly about. Protecting our sacred beautiful land that has housed wildlife, and educated millions should be a major priority, even to those who are fiscally more conservative. Firing even a few employees means more days of the year where people can't visit these parks and it makes me sad for the future. I hope you are right, and the fact that these employees were fired despite being immensely qualified and professional can be challenged.
ReplyDeleteNational parks should be protected and fully staffed without question. They are so unique and beautiful; they cannot be replaced. These need unwavering protection so I'm glad people are standing up for this.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really concerning issue, and you highlight the problem well. National Parks play such a crucial role in conservation, education, and public recreation, and losing skilled workers puts these protected areas at serious risk.
ReplyDeleteThe protection of our National Parks should be a high priority, and it is unfortunate that our current president does not see this. The fact that the most educated and respected individuals are being fired is definitely a scary thought.
ReplyDeleteThis is so crazy! I had no idea that this was happening and it's so frustrating. I have been the family in that position where a parent loses a job for an unsatisfactory reason, and I can't imagine the fear some of these families are facing. I hope the lawsuits and the push back from the public forces these companies to change their minds and rehire these workers. Maybe even provide compensation.
ReplyDeleteThe Trump administration's strategy of firing National Park Service employees, particularly targeting skilled probationary workers, not only jeopardizes the preservation of vital ecosystems but also faces significant legal challenges due to the unjustified nature of many terminations. 1 sentence response
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that they are cutting funding for the national parks as well as firing all of these employees trying to preserve these areas and species. In a time that a lot of areas are industrialized it was always nice knowing that there was little spots of nature to come to. Unfortunately in the coming years that might not be possible anymore.
ReplyDeleteI am so devastated. My dream job is to work in a national park so seeing all the firings sent me into a spiral. What am I even in school for if I cannot make a difference when I get out? I have to hope that we can still do something someday. You put a lot of time into your research and your blog is well written and very beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI empathize with your devastation. What a great goal you have!
DeleteIt is so scary to think of how damaging Trump is to the environment and people worldwide. We NEED national parks and reservations. They make up much of the only protected forest and natural landscaping left. Cutting down trees and deforestation to make more buildings and parking lots are not what we need in the future.
ReplyDeleteOur national parks have been dedicated and protected for a reason, it hurts to watch Trump come into office with intention to destroy these landscapes that have existed much longer than we have. My heart hurts for the individuals who have dedicated their lives to maintaining our national parks.
ReplyDeleteProtecting the national parks requires the support and preservation tactics of these workers. It is devastating to hear that these national parks workers are unjustly losing their jobs. This adds to the environmental damage caused by the Trump administration, and I can only imagine what this means for the overall climate crisis with these fragile ecosystems in jeopardy.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the average American, but I'd for sure prefer my taxes go towards the National Parks Service rather than subsidizing an oil company.
ReplyDeleteThis is terrible. These people's job is to protect the parks and the land that we want to secure. It is ridiculous that so many people are losing their jobs and they are the same ones that should be there to do the good work and protect our parks.
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad. National parks require a lot of maintaining to be enjoyable and safe to the public. Not only that, but the people who do not respect the parks are going to go on polluting and disrupting the integrity of the parks without people there to educate and maintain them. Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Trump administration can define what a “highly skilled employee” is. I think of someone being considered an expert in their field a highly skilled employee, but it seems like the administration is expecting to have one expert for all the fields.
ReplyDeleteI have been to many National Parks and National Monuments. They are treasures. Our park system is an example to the world. What a crime to devastate the employees! They aren't highly paid to start with! And all for tax cuts for the rich.
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