How the New Administration’s Actions Will Affect National Parks

Thousands of job offers rescinded. Buyouts offered. And many staff left uncertain about the security of their jobs. It’s been two weeks since the new administration took office, but uncertainty and confusion are already taking a hefty toll on the National Park Service.

National park staff across the country are feeling the impact of the Trump administration’s recent executive orders and directives. As information continues to come fast and furious from the White House, NPCA breaks down what you need to know about the administration’s efforts to overhaul the federal workforce and agency funding — and how it all may affect your next park visit and the protection of our parks’ irreplaceable resources.

Hiring freeze

National parks are welcoming record-breaking numbers of visitors each year, with over 325 million visits in 2023 alone — an increase of 13 million from 2022. While their popularity is well known to the millions who visit these treasured places, the growing challenge is less visible: Staffing levels are not keeping pace with increasing demands (staffing in parks is down 20% since 2010, while visitation increased by 16%).

National parks across the country rely heavily on seasonal staff to help keep parks running smoothly throughout their busy season. Each year, the Park Service hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees to welcome and educate visitors and ensure their safety. They also operate visitor centers and entrance booths, maintain facilities and grounds, repair buildings, protect historic and natural resources, and conduct research. Full-time, or “permanent,” staff do all of this work and more. These specialized professionals care for our diverse and unique places and ensure safe and inspiring experiences for millions of families every year.

But a widespread federal government hiring freeze enacted by the administration last week has upended this hiring process. The hiring freeze forced the National Park Service to rescind more than 2,000 seasonal and permanent positions across the country, positions that are critical to parks as they prepare for spring break and summer visitation. And as each day goes by, more job offers are held up, increasing the likelihood of parks being without critically needed staff.

“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. These are not the memories we want people to take away from their experience at our parks.” – Kristen Brengel, NPCA’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs

Probationary periods

Along with the hiring freeze, the administration sent additional guidance to agencies, including the Park Service, instructing them to identify newer staff who are still in their probationary period. These employees are just weeks or months into a new job, and like most employers, the federal government has a period of evaluation (typically one year) before increased job protections. The Park Service has well over 1,000 employees considered to be in a probationary period. The administration’s guidance urges agencies to review these employees to consider reassigning them to temporary duties, to put them on paid leave, or to “promptly determine whether those employees should be retained at the agency.”

Even permanent staff are feeling anything but secure. These dedicated professionals conduct vital research to protect natural and cultural resources, perform daring search and rescues, clear trails, clean bathrooms and ensure our national parks are ready for all who visit them. Yet, those who recently accepted positions may now find themselves without a job — despite signing leases, relocating their families, or making plans based on a job that could soon be revoked.

Combined with the hiring freeze and other recent directives, this could leave parks even more understaffed, compounding years of workforce reductions.

“The most troubling part of this directive is that it’s leaving countless staff anxious about losing their jobs at any moment. They risk being let go simply because they haven’t been in their position for more than a year — regardless of their dedication to protecting our most treasured places and stories.” – John Garder, NPCA’s Senior Director of Budget and Appropriations

Buyout offers

On Jan. 28, federal employees received an email from the Federal Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. government’s human resources agency. Much to their surprise, federal employees, including Park Service personnel, were offered two options: to resign from their positions by Feb. 6 and be paid through the end of September 2025, or to stay in their roles without “full assurance regarding the certainty of your position.” The impact of this offer has been devastating to the morale of thousands of dedicated rangers and Park Service workers. For so many park staff, it’s not just a job — it’s a calling. But now they are left questioning whether they will be able to keep their jobs.

“When taken together, the cumulative impact of these actions and orders on our national parks and park staff could be devastating and long-lasting. In the long term, buyouts could lead to a loss of expertise and experience. And when national parks struggle, gateway communities and economies feel the effects too.” – Theresa Pierno, NPCA’s President and CEO

Remote work

On day one, the new administration signed an executive action seeking to terminate remote work and directing federal agencies to order their employees back to the office full time, with the possibility of a few exceptions. Most federal workers, including many employed with the Park Service, already work in-person full time. Park rangers, law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians and other staff are physically present in parks and supporting offices due to the nature of their work.

However, over the years, the Park Service has expanded flexible work options to offer fully remote and hybrid job opportunities to better accommodate a wide variety of staffing needs such as human resource professionals, communications specialists, information technology experts and other positions that are critical to park operations and communication with the public. Out of the Park Service’s nearly 20,000-person workforce, roughly 2,800 employees perform remote work at least some of the time.

Like many agencies across the country, the Park Service has employed remote workers to help increase productivity and efficiency, attract and retain more candidates from different geographic areas, and reduce costs. This flexibility has been even more critical given the increasingly prohibitive cost of living near national parks. On top of the rising cost of living, a housing crunch near some parks has left many employees struggling to find affordable housing. And a massive, deferred maintenance backlog has made staff housing within the park system harder to come by. Instead, many park staff have been forced to purchase or rent housing in towns farther from their jobs — sometimes hours away from the parks.

The White House memorandum included opportunities for departments and agencies to make exemptions they deem necessary. But while those decisions have yet to be made, hundreds of park employees continue to wait and hope they are able to keep their jobs and support their families.

Freezing of federal funds

On Jan. 27, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued an order pausing federal grants and other critical funding sources. The list of threatened programs included dozens of Park Service programs and accounts. Confusion and chaos followed for two days as nonprofit partners were unable to access funds that had been committed to park projects. National heritage areas, community-driven efforts to protect historic areas and promote tourism and regional investment, could not access funds that the National Park Service provides for these efforts.

The administration rescinded the order two days later but made clear that the efforts to evaluate and potentially reduce federal programs will continue, and therefore, the future of these funds remains in limbo.

“Americans love our national parks and want to see them protected. But to do that, we must also protect the people who care for these places. We can’t expect our national parks to meet their mission and safely welcome millions of visitors without adequate staff and resources. National parks, visitors and the people who dedicate their careers to protecting our most treasured places deserve better.” – Theresa Pierno, NPCA’s President and CEO

NPCA will continue to closely monitor the implementation of these and other executive orders and make sure the federal government upholds park laws and keeps its promise to protect America’s national parks.

The views expressed here are those of the National Parks Conservation Association and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Park Service.