Musk and the DOGE team have already fired a number of Park Service workers, including Park Rangers. From Axios: “More than 750 U.S. national park workers have been fired amid the Trump administration’s purge of federal employees, per an unofficial tally shared with Axios by a park ranger. The firings have left fewer workers to do critical jobs ahead of the busy summer travel season, including lifesaving search-and-rescue missions.”
“325.5 million people visited U.S. national parks in 2023, up nearly 20% from a decade earlier. Many national parks have been struggling to deal with the glut of visitors, as well as the traffic and trash they bring. After the firings, “I don’t think the parks are equipped to be able to handle the visitation that they get,” says the ranger who shared the document with Axios, adding that the stakes go far beyond long lines, crowded campsites and dirty bathrooms.
- “The odds of search-and-rescue missions turning into recoveries [of dead bodies] will be a lot higher this year than most,” the ranger says.
- “There will be more people dying this year than probably any other year, and that’s entirely due to the lack of staffing.”
- “With peak season just weeks away, the decision to slash 1,000 permanent, full-time jobs from national parks is reckless and could have serious public safety and health consequences,” National Parks Conservation Association (an independent parks advocacy group) president and CEO Theresa Pierno said in a separate statement, adding that national parks are major economic drivers for nearby communities.
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