More than 325 million people visited national parks in 2023, according to the National Park Service, and visitation in 2025 is expected to exceed that number. This influx of visitors is anticipated to strain parks that are already operating on thinner margins.
One employee, who requested anonymity, shared his experience after being terminated from Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
"I found out at 4:57 on Friday that I was being terminated," he told Scripps News.
RELATED STORY | Trump's widespread federal layoffs could be felt across the country
The employee received a letter from the U.S. government stating he failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment.
"I have been working for the government since 2015," he added. "I have an excellent track record. I have performance reviews every single year that have good or excellent reviews."
He is among the roughly 1,000 National Park Service employees who lost their jobs as part of layoffs affecting thousands nationwide. The cuts were not publicly announced, and the employee and his wife — who lived in park-provided housing — were forced to pack up and leave immediately.
"There's just so much uncertainty at this point," said Micheele Uberuaga, senior program manager with the National Parks Conservation Association.
RELATED STORY | More national parks are using reservations to control crowd size
With the busy spring and summer seasons approaching, Uberuaga noted that these cuts could have far-reaching impacts on park maintenance, entry, fire mitigation, and trash cleanup. At Zion National Park in Utah, where National Park Service staffing has been down 20% since 2010, wait lines are already a growing concern.
"Cutting staff that put out unattended campfires, that manage timber sales, that support wildland firefighting efforts, means that our communities will face much more wildfire risk come spring," said Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado.
Bennet and other Democrats have criticized the layoffs, while some Republicans — such as Congressman Jeff Crank — have supported the cuts as necessary to reduce what they describe as wasteful spending.
"If you're a federal employee and you're doing good, valuable work, then the Federal Government is going to want you there," Crank said. "This isn't an attack on federal employees."
RELATED STORY | National Park Service announces free entry days for 2025
A federal judge recently declined to issue a temporary restraining order against the layoffs, but a new lawsuit was filed by federal unions claiming that the Office of Personnel Management lacks the authority to terminate these workers.
"I think worst-case scenario, public safety could be at risk," Uberuaga said. "And we're right at that breaking point. Morale is very low and people are scared they might lose their job next."
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
