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Mass Layoffs of National Park and Forest Workers Threaten the Future of America’s Trails
Thousands of national park and forest workers have been laid off due to sweeping budget cuts and shifting federal priorities, sending shockwaves through the outdoor community. The decision, which could accelerate the privatization of public lands, is poised to have far-reaching impacts on thru-hikers, local trail enthusiasts, and anyone who enjoys democratic access to America’s land.
A Break From Precedent
For decades, dedicated park and forest employees have ensured the safety, upkeep, and accessibility of America’s treasured public lands. Historical precedent underscores that robust staffing levels are critical for emergency response and trail maintenance—two key factors for those in the backcountry. Yet recent layoffs signal a departure from this commitment, raising alarm bells among conservationists and outdoor recreation advocates.
Photo via @ranger_wild, a Park Ranger laid off this week. He was the only EMT employed in the park and the first responder for any emergency. He questions how the park will function without his role.
Officials cite budgetary constraints and reallocation of resources as justifications. However, critics argue that understaffing not only undermines conservation efforts but also leaves public lands vulnerable to neglect—and, eventually, to private investors looking to capitalize on diminished oversight.
The Implications
Long-distance hikers, who rely on well-maintained trails and emergency services, now face significantly higher risks. Reduced staffing leads to slower emergency response times and less frequent trail maintenance. These changes could turn our trails into hazardous paths with insufficient infrastructure to handle the demands of modern thru-hiking.
“The hiring freeze is a serious problem for NPS as January and February are when the NPS begins the hiring for the summer operations,” explains former NPS Director, Jon Jarvis. “The NPS hires roughly 8,000 seasonal employees for 3-6 months. Seasonal employees provide much of the basic visitor services from fee collection to interpretation, search and rescue, law enforcement, resource management.”
Photo via @_feral_kat, one of the NPS employees laid off. Her job included clearing trails, restoring damage, removing trash, protecting ecosystems, and helping visitors experience the park safely.
Community members who frequent nearby trails will also feel the impact. With fewer staff members to manage day-to-day operations, parks may experience a decline in safety measures and an increase in overuse damage. This could lead to crowded trails and an overall decline in the quality of outdoor recreational spaces near home, not to mention the long-term detriment felt by the environment.
Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), offers this statement:
“Years of budget cuts are already weakening the agency’s ability to protect and preserve these incredible places. National parks fuel local economies across the country, generating billions of dollars for area businesses and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. Slashing staff could have a ripple effect on gateway businesses and communities that depend on parks for survival.”
Impact on Wildland Firefighting Efforts
As the number of national park and forest staff dwindles, concerns extend beyond trail maintenance and emergency response; the capacity to combat wildfires is also in jeopardy. Wildland firefighting relies heavily on well-trained personnel, rapid coordination, and accessible resources—all of which are currently strained by the staffing cuts.
In regions where fire seasons are becoming increasingly severe, the reduction in park personnel places more pressure on already stretched firefighting teams. Historically, park rangers and forest workers have played an integral role in firefighting efforts, from early detection to coordinating suppression actions. With fewer staff members on the ground, response times to emerging fires could be delayed, exacerbating the risk to both public safety and ecosystems. Fire crews depend on local knowledge and support from park employees who are familiar with the terrain and fire behavior. Without that front line support, the firefighting effort becomes slower, less efficient, and more dangerous.
Alpine and Arrowhead Hotshots are based in Rocky Mountain National Park and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, respectively. They respond to both NPS incidents as well as interagency incidents. Photo via NPS
Beyond emergency response, these staffing cuts could impede vital fire prevention efforts, such as controlled burns, vegetation management, and public outreach on fire safety. These proactive measures help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, but their success hinges on having enough personnel to manage them.
The impact on wildland firefighting will affect those living near national parks or forests and could also have regional and national repercussions as wildfires continue to grow in scale. With fewer boots on the ground, the country may face a future where preventing and managing wildfires becomes an increasingly daunting and dangerous task.
What Can Hikers Do Amidst Understaffed Parks?
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Volunteer Initiatives:
Engage with local park programs and join volunteer trail maintenance efforts. Hikers can try to help fill the gap by clearing debris, picking up after themselves, completely extinguishing your fires if you absolutely must make one, and organizing community clean-up events. Be vocal in your actions. When packing out trash, use it as an opportunity to educate others on why visitor stewardship is critical in an understaffed park system. -
Community Watch and Communication:
Establish networks for sharing real-time updates on trail conditions and emergencies. Many sections of the Triple Crown Trails only become accessible after trail crews move through them and spend weeks painstakingly removing blow downs and other hazards. With these trail crews gutted, many trails may become impassable for continuous foot travel. Take the initiative to alert the hikers a few days behind you on the conditions they should expect ahead.
The work done by park staff is the only reason trails and parks remain accessible to the public. Photo via @lydianell98.
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Political Engagement:
Contact local, state, and federal representatives to express concerns over the staffing cuts. Attend town hall meetings and advocate for bipartisan support of public land funding. Engage in respectful conversations with people in your life with the genuine goal of hearing and understanding their perspective. Building connections and advocacy groups that span political divides will be instrumental in reversing policies that jeopardize our public lands. Outdoor Alliance has a quick and easy way to send a message to Congress. It takes less than a minute, but collective action like this can make a real impact in reversing harmful policies. -
Support Conservation Groups:
Donate time or resources to established environmental organizations that are actively fighting for increased public funding and protection of our parks. Their research and advocacy are vital in holding policymakers accountable. A few groups leading the charge include:- Outdoor Alliance – A coalition of human-powered outdoor recreation groups that actively lobbies for public land protections and better agency funding.
- American Hiking Society – Focuses on trail conservation, stewardship programs, and advocacy for well-maintained hiking infrastructure.
- Partnership for the National Trails System (PNTS) – Connects member nonprofit trail organizations and federal agency partners to preserve, enhance, and promote National Scenic and Historic Trails across the United States.
Take Action—Our Trails Depend on It
The mass layoffs of national park and forest workers pushes America’s public lands down a concerning path. Historically, public lands have been safeguarded through consistent investment in human and material resources. The current trend, if left unchecked, could set a dangerous precedent. Reduced oversight may pave the way for selling off public assets to private investors, fundamentally altering the landscape of outdoor recreation and perhaps eliminating the idea of a thru-hike as it exists today.
Understaffing has already started to close some of the trails, like this trail closure in the Snoqualmie Ranger District, which includes sections of the Pacific Crest Trail. Photo via @kiley__rose.
For thru-hikers and local trail users, the impact is immediate and profound—ranging from diminished safety and trail quality to this long-term risk of privatization. It is imperative that we step forward to volunteer, organize, and engage politically. The preservation of our public lands depends on the collective action of informed and passionate citizens from all perspectives and walks of life.
Public lands belong to everyone, but only if we fight for them. The time to act is now. Get involved, raise awareness, and make your voice heard before we lose what generations before us worked so hard to protect.
For further information on how to get involved and protect our public land, contact your local park advisory board.
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Comments 28
How about some historical context to go with this “could”, “may”, oh-no, fear-prodding article?
Consider: “Here are some stats from Google AI: In 1990, the U.S. population was 250 million. Today it is estimated to be 335 million. That is up 34%.
In 1990, the federal budget was $1 trillion. Today it is around $7 trillion. That is up 600%. Inflation between 1990 and 2024 totaled 140%, meaning inflation averaged 2.61% over the 34-year period. So the budget went up four times the increase in inflation. I would say it’s pretty clear that out of control spending is the problem.
Total federal revenue in 1990 was $1.03 trillion; in 2024, total federal revenue was $4.92 trillion. That is up 378%, or up 2.7 times the rate of inflation. Revenue is clearly not the problem. It should be noted that capital gains rates were cut in the 1990s, and Bush and Trump both cut federal tax rates, yet revenue still increased 2.7 times the rate of inflation.
The federal debt in 1990 was $3.2 trillion; today it is $36 trillion. That is up over 1,000%.
It is easy to see that federal spending and debt are out-of-control even if you adjust for a 34% population increase.” (Article: Trump is just following Bill Clinton’s bureaucracy-cutting example By Jack Hellner)
What happened in 1990? President Bill Clinton cut the federal work force by more than 377,000. Oh no!!
Trail closures without legitimate reason are just lawfare tactics to utilize people to react, not think things through. Tax burdens last a lifetime. Yes, outdoor plans may be affected in the short-term but the long-term economic benefits of reduced tax load for individuals and families cannot be subordinate to Gaia worship. Enjoy the parks and trails as they were 40 years ago when personal responsibility was a thing. And take time to volunteer and give your own money to your favorite park or trail.
I appreciate the historical perspective, but the issue isn’t just overall federal spending—it’s how that spending is prioritized. While the budget has grown, funding for public land agencies like the NPS and Forest Service hasn’t kept pace with inflation or increased visitation. Cutting staff has real consequences, from slower emergency response times to neglected trail maintenance and reduced wildfire prevention efforts.
Clinton’s federal workforce reductions were largely military downsizing post-Cold War, not cuts to public land management at today’s scale. And while personal responsibility and volunteer efforts are important, they can’t fully replace trained professionals who maintain infrastructure, protect ecosystems, and respond to emergencies.
Outdoor recreation generates over $1 trillion annually and supports rural economies nationwide. Underfunding public lands isn’t just about short-term trail closures—it has long-term economic and environmental consequences.
And, to your statements concerning the federal debt, most budget growth is tied to Social Security, Medicare, and interest on the debt, not discretionary funding like public lands. Cutting park and forest staff doesn’t solve “out-of-control spending”; it just weakens vital services that generate economic benefits through tourism and recreation.
Debt has grown, but so has the economy—debt-to-GDP is a better measure than raw numbers. And while tax cuts didn’t stop revenue growth, they did reduce revenue as a percentage of GDP, increasing deficits. Thoughtful spending choices matter more than across-the-board cuts, and underfunding public lands creates long-term costs that outweigh short-term savings.
I appreciate your thoughtful comment, and willingness to start the conversation!
Came here to say this, but you did it even better than I would have. Thanks!
My comment is to Old Hiker, not the article author. I would add that the lay offs/cut backs are nothing new in my state. We rely on volunteers as much as our paid park staff.
Wll enter my grave (from another country, will be able to leave in a few years because im a “have” and the haves are going to get a LOT wealthier now at expense of the middle) in shock that people voted for this. Katie covered it. The nps is not out of control spending. Its microscopic piece of budget and silly to attack, but here we are.
Thank you, Katie, for your insightful article and your solid response to the comment received. I agree with you. More than shifting priorities, I see reckless, irresponsible behavior neglecting our duty to safeguard our national treasures for future generations. Voluntarism can fill some gaps, but our government is responsible for using some of our taxes to protect our national parks. The current administration is picking on low-hanging fruit and avoiding the fundamental problem of our budget. Does anyone think that starving children, preventing the spread of diseases, or laying off park employees will take care of our budget problems? Most people will start to notice when the consequences of this “for show” wrecking behavior begin to percolate into every aspect of our lives.
When we visited Pictured Rocks last fall it was like no one worked there anyway. Visitor center on the east end said they were having meetings on the West end. We were shuttling to the West End only to find a line of people waiting for passes etc. The meeting apparently ended and the Park Personnel put up the closed signs in our faces and walked there way past all of us with big S*it eating grins. Not impressed.
I love our state and that particular part of it, but we see the same thing constantly and for decades in every place we camp and hike.
I made calls to my representatives today. I use an app called 5 Calls. I highly recommend it. It gives you the phone numbers and a script if you want to use it.
This article is nothing but hyperbolic nonsense that will garner sympathy from tree huggers, but no one else. Everything will be just fine folks and believing some Gen Z no-it-all will not serve you well… Old Hiker is 100% on point and this Gen Z’s retort is JUST MORE HYPERBOLIC CLAPTRAP!
Gen Z know*-it-all.
I sincerely welcome any conversation if you’re willing or able to address any of the points I made in either the article or comments.
Just here using my real name to see the bootlickers show their asses.
Maybe the billionaires who end up buying our public land will still let us use it if we suck up to them hard enough.
1-The land doesn’t need management, it was here before us and it will be after us. 2-We are not an invasive species, you can’t have it both ways either we are just another animal doing our thing (no matter how nasty) or we are special. 3- There are billions of acres of unmanaged non-park land that seem to be doing fine, go for a walk there.
Have a great day.
I actually agree with a lot of what you’ve said! However, I want to add some nuance to two of your points: Humans are part of nature, but unlike other animals, we have the power to drastically change the environment. With that power comes responsibility. It’s not about being “special” but about cleaning up the mess we’ve made. If moose could pave roads through the Rockies and produce plastic, I’d also be advocating for internal moose management! 😀
Secondly, with respect to the unmanaged, non-park land, this is sort of a “snake eating itself” type of situation. So many people want to explore nature (which is great!) but is also sort of the problem. Unmanaged lands typically don’t have trails built out to allow for the average person to go out and hike. And, the average spot is going to be less beautiful than, say, Arches National Park or the Grand Canyon. We’ve built these parks up around a lot of the most beautiful features in America, so it’s natural that these are the places the public will flock to. Whether you or I think this is silly is somewhat irrelevant; it’s already happening and defending the parks service isn’t going to stop the people from going. Instead, it’ll just create massive damage in these areas without the staff to fix the issues being causes.
Even if we take a step back and look at the layoffs outside of the National Parks (like the National Forests), we’ll see the same issues happening. Our National Forests are sprawling, and it’s pretty hard to find places to walk (at least, where I live) that aren’t either a National Park or managed by a National Forest. While I really do wish the solution were as simple as “going for walks in areas not impacted by the layoffs”, I truly don’t think that’s a realistic answer.
Either way, I hope you have a great day as well, and I appreciate you engaging in the conversation! I love hearing other perspectives, and it’s clear that all we both want is the ability to enjoy the serenity of the nature we love 🙂
*no-know, they’re-there, buy-by, bare-bear… you prove my point on the NO-IT-ALL. Not to many fans of grammar nazis on an internet comment section. Whilst I have the ability, why bother? Old Hiker is on point, nuff said! *Enough for those with a stick stuck somewhere.
What is the purpose of engaging with an article enough to insult the author, but without the desire to contribute your perspective or engage in conversation? Why, then, the initial comment at all?
Not *TOO many fans…” ;-)))
Thank you for pointing this out. And for pointing out to Old Hiker that Debt to GDP is better measuer than overall numbers. Heck they should make sure the Google AI didn’t spit out a hallucination they blindly quoted.
An even better measure is the percentage of the budget the NPS, Forest service, and BLM are of the whole then and now. If we juat look at the NPS their inflation adjusted number have been effectively flat for the last decade and that was coming out of the mid 2010’s budget sequestration.
To put another way, in our multi trillion dollar economy 2.5 to 3 billion is a tiny fraction of the whole.
Katie, I may not agree with all of your assumptions or positions, but I do appreciate you engaging in meaningful dialogue on the issues without engaging in name calling. I maintain local trails and invest countless hours annually, so I do believe that citizens who enjoy trails also need to be good stewards of the land and give back.
That said, I don’t live close enough to a national park to assist in maintaining national park trails. I agree with others that the $37 trillion in national debt can no longer be swept under the rug. We have to make considerable cuts across all areas of spending, no matter how small.
I agree with the budget cuts and the organizations who received those funds are going to have to tighten their belts. The author is more emotion than fact. Old Hiker has the facts. Our government has been throwing away money left and right for decades. Squandered and wasted. Those who are crying now are part of the problem. I’ve never seen a non-profit yet who could put out a good budget, well conceived and fully vetted. Nope….it’s always last years budget + 4%. That’s not budgeting. I’m quite certain the ATC is no exception.
And I agree, the land will be there long after all of us have vacated our spot on the planet. Narcissistic compassion. Only we can save the environment while we continue to destroy it. Ridiculous. We just don’t see the part we play in it. It’s always something or somebody else.
Good luck to all of us. I think it will all turn out just fine. Take it from me…CPA for 47 years. Every bureaucracy can get along with less. They just don’t know how. I’ve audited many, monay clueless organizations. Terrible at money management. No clue how to balance a budget other than to beg for more money from some source.
Old Hiker, You said it right. I’ve hiked 1200 miles of the AT, some of it 3 times, and I’ve seen ONE Ranger on the trail. That was part of a summer kids program at the Greyson Highlands area. I’ve hiked the Smokies, the Shennies, and Baxter State Park. Hikers pick up trash dropped by slackers. Rangers sit in offices. Volunteers do almost all of the trail work and maintenance.
The NPS employees about 20,000 people, including full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees. They have expanded 25% for equity inclusion employees, mostly in administrative and part-time in very recent years. The 3,400 slated for lay off represent only about 15% of that 20,000, and doesn’t effect any emergency services, SAR, fire fighters, police, or essential services, as they are all expressly exempted. The 15% reduction is primarily in administration, temporary, and seasonal employees, mostly effecting National Monument personnel.
Most land management and trail maintenance, even in National Parks, is provided by State Park Services, private, and more than 290,000 organized volunteers like the ATC. They are unaffected because none are paid Federal employees.
If the NPS falls short of refuse and restroom cleaning services at National Monuments, they can always prioritize some of the taxpayer money spent on their $250 million dollar philanthropy endeavors, like University grants for diversity and civil rights studies programs, and spend it on park services for the public.
Thank you for continuing to post this type of information, its good to see the dialogue. My biggest concern is how this administration will look at public land and see it as something to make a profit on. I think a lot of boomers on on here commenting – and in general – are fiscally conservative. I fear people aren’t going to see the value of investing in our public lands. Have we tried taxing the elite wealthy people on this country? I’d like to start there first.
This “old hiker” appreciates the exceptional quality of writing, information, and perspective provided by your article, Katie. And I admire you patient, intelligent response to name-less “experts” who rant and rave. I am ashamed of my generation that many are unwilling (they are capable) to engage in an intelligent conversation with younger generations. There are good points and facts on both sides of the argument. But the arguments are often drowned in myopic emotion on one side, and and frequently wasted with selfish idiocy on the other (I am looking at you Baby Boomers). Your article and responses, Katie, are an exception, in this “old hiker’s” view.
I am a Republican that has voted for Teddy Roosevelt (and Kamala Harris once) in our last three presidential elections. And, like Ronald Reagan, I believe in smaller government. But if anyone, of any generation, believes that the current “regime’s” egotistical cuts will do anything but gut the entire government, they are naïve. Yes, we need to reduce the budget deficit; however, reckless cuts in areas that are easy like NPS etc, will only be more expensive later when they will need to be re-built, if it isn’t too late. This current “regime” has only its personal interests at heart. Privatization of many government services in order to increase personal profits of their own and their ilk. I see no character with selflessness, duty, honor, country in any of these “people.”
I support the protests against sweeping cuts in National Park Service, National Forest Service, and almost any part of the Department of Interior. There are many other departments that should be ahead on the budget reduction block.
All good discussion points. My wife and I have been trail maintenance volunteers for both the AMC and USFS (White Mt. National Forest) for over 15 years. We love the work but it seems the evolving user hiking community is less and less inclined to understand to work involved by both paid and volunteer trail workers. Even more so to lend a helping hand. We call it the discission process of whether to walk over a branch in a trail or to pick it up and put it off the tread. The former choice seems more popular. It is great to see more and more families hiking but many do not teach their kids trail manners. Bootlegging trails and damaged living trees is now very common and kids often the ones doing these actions. Sure, many people are working folks with short weekend days to hike and camp but if every hiker gave one day of volunteer work per year-think of what could get done. On the other hand, in our experience, the USFS and National Park Service could do more to facilitate volunteer services. This discussion is for another day. Thank you.
With all the discussions and angst about the layoffs, was the staffing efficient and effective? Maybe that is the true intent of the actions.
My parents moved myself and my twin brother to Gatlinburg, TN outside the National Park when we were babies, and we left there in our late teens. I returned for many backpacking trips in the Smokies after college and this April I will finally retire after 48 years in engineering and project management. I remember when backcountry permits didn’t cost anything, then several years ago a multiday backcountry permit cost $20, now it can cost $40 in the Smokies. Other National Park started gate fees which luckily the Smokies did not. Seems like there is never enough money no matter what additional fees they tack on.
I have to agree with many of the comments from people like Old Hiker, Slowdrag, and Ronald Mittelman. Our Federal government is out of control with no accountability that has built up over decades and now it is time for a reset. I have always worked in the private sector where I was held accountable for my projects and budgets. I have run a non-profit that in the past the officers were elected by “popularity contest” with people with no talent or leadership skills that left the organization in debt! I had to fire practical everyone and start over to make it successful. I feel like that is what has happened with many of different federal agencies that have had people placed in authority by political appointments over many years with people who didn’t know the job or how to manage their own checkbook.
I have been a volunteer trail maintainer and a member of Search and Rescue in Maine in the past. We didn’t get financial support from the government. All my SAR equipment came from my bank account.
So, the question should be where are all the funds going from their budgets? It’s my opinion there are a lot of people in the wrong position that can’t manage people or projects (labor, equipment, and materials) to get things done properly. It has gone on too long for many agencies besides the NPS and the FS. We have an opportunity now to fix it. This isn’t a Republican or Democrat blame game. We work to together to fix it or you won’t like the future that the United States is facing.
Hey Old Hiker, it’s very impressive that Bill Clinton was able to slash so many federal jobs during his time as governor of Arkansas in 1990. I am truly impressed by your “facts”. How many other “facts” are hallucinated by your Google AI sources?