While the Trump administration continues to reduce the federal workforce, the National Park Service – which has lost almost 10% of its employees in scanning reductions – has just reported that 2024 has set a record for visits to its parks.
Nearly 332 million people introduced themselves to hiking, camping or simply taking a breath of fresh air in American national parks last year. This represents 6 million more visits than the previous year, and one million more than the previous record, set in 2016.
The news occurs while the park supervisors rush to understand how they will keep the parks clean and ensure visitors in safety this summer, given the loss of hundreds of permanent workers. About 1,000 employees of the probationary national park service – generally people in their first two years of service – were dismissed on February 14 as well as tens of thousands of other probationary federal employees, which are part of a multi -aging purge orchestrated by the advisory team of the White House of Elon Musk, which he calls the Ministry of Government, or Doge.
At the other end of the spectrum, More than 700 Parc service workers Participate in the Trump administration buyback program, which allows federal employees to resign now, but continues to receive their wages and benefits until September. These programs generally attract older employees from retirement.
“It is a slap in front of the hundreds of millions of people who explored our parks last year and want to continue to return,” said Kristen Brengel, main vice-president of government affairs for the non-profit organization Conservation of national parks. “Americans love their national parks; These cuts have no public support. ”
The National Park Service is undoubtedly the most loved branch of a large extended federal bureaucracy. Even the Americans who could get lost in the alphabet soup of other agencies – there are more than 400 – will probably never forget standing in the Yosemite valley and looking in a silent wonder to an imposing cascade.
The first cuts to the agency that the Trump administration announced in January – Eliminate positions Thousands of seasonal workers who receive entry fees, clean toilets and aid for research and rescue operations – have triggered a rapid and furious reaction.
After a campaign coordinated on social networks of parks and outdoor lovers across the country, the Trump administration restored seasonal positions And promised to hire hundreds of temporary employees this year.
But it was a remarkable exception to the overall strategy of the administration of apparently blind cuts.
In all, the National Park Service has lost some 1,700 permanent employees of staff all year less than 20,000.
Losses come by almost 15 years without significant increase in financing the operating budget of the Park Service, said Brengel. “This means that many employees are already doing more work and has been doing it for years,” she said.
California has nine national parks, more than any other state, including renowned sites such as Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Death Valley. Their arrow cliffs and starred night sky are the background of millions of family vacation each year. Last year, there were more than 4 million visits to Yosemite, nearly 3 million in Joshua Tree, and around 1.4 million in Death Valley, according to the Park Service website.
The news of last year's record visits was published on the agency's website, but without the usual celebration fanfare. Instead, it was more a prudent whisper, indicative of the general mood on the federal workforce these days.
“You hear so many rumors, especially here at DC, about people who have dismissed for having done something that seems contrary to the Trump administration agenda,” said Brengel. “Everyone is just afraid.”
The officials of the National Park Service did not respond to a request for comments.
