Parks Group Welcomes Reinstatement of Probationary Park Staff but Warns of Ongoing National Park Staffing Crisis

UPDATE: This story and its headline have been updated with new information regarding recent developments. The Park Service is now authorized to reinstate all 1,000 probationary park staff who were terminated on February 14. The Park Service was originally authorized to reinstate approximately 400 previously terminated probationary employees, while placing the remaining previously terminated staff on administrative leave.

Washington, DC – Today, due to recent court orders, the National Park Service is authorized to fully reinstate 1,000 previously terminated probationary employees at national parks across the country. The Park Service employees terminated on February 14 included rangers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and other essential personnel. However, two recent court rulings have temporarily blocked the administration’s terminations of these and other federal employees across multiple agencies and ordered them to be reinstated. Probationary staff who opt for reinstatement will be able to fully return to work and will receive back pay.

While the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) welcomes these reinstatements mandated by the courts, it warns that our national parks remain in crisis. Recent resignations and buyout offers are just the latest pressure tactic in the administration’s ongoing effort to dismantle the Park Service—coercing staff to either leave or endure the constant threat of more firings while being stripped of the essential tools and resources needed to do their jobs, including eliminating purchasing ability, cancelling office leases and banning travel.

NPCA is calling on the Trump administration and Congress to prevent any further cuts to park staffing and funding. For over a century, NPCA has stood up for the protection of our national parks and those who dedicate their careers to safeguarding everything that makes these places so special. And we won’t stop now.

Statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):

“The administration’s reckless and indefensible decision to fire 1,000 park staff has put our parks and millions of visitors and resources at risk. This court-ordered reinstatement is a welcome relief and getting these employees back to work as quickly as possible is critical.

“When these park staff lost their jobs, many also lost their homes and communities. Now, with uncertainty looming over if or when the next cut might come, it’s unclear how many will choose to return. The Park Service stands to lose an irreplaceable wealth of expertise, experience, and institutional knowledge they may never get back.

"And even in the midst of these reinstatements, the administration continues to coerce staff to resign from the jobs they’ve dedicated their lives to or face ongoing firings and mounting obstacles to doing their work. Pressuring staff to leave will devastate the Park Service’s ability to keep our national parks running and safeguard our precious historic and natural treasures.

“This chaotic whiplash is no way to manage the Park Service, especially as they are welcoming millions of visitors right now. This administration needs to stop playing games with the future of our national parks.

“The American people love our national parks and want them protected for future generations. It’s time the administration listened. We won’t stop fighting until these attacks on our national parks come to an end.

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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.