US national parks staff in 'survival mode' to keep parks open amid Trump cuts

[groundloop]

Source: The Guardian

Across the US's fabled but overstretched national parks, unusual scenes are playing out this summer following budget cuts by Donald Trump's administration. Archeologists are staffing ticket booths, ecologists are covering visitor centers and the superintendents of parks are even cleaning the toilets.

The National Park Service (NPS), responsible for maintaining cherished wildernesses and sites of cultural importance from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty, has lost a quarter of its permanent staff since Trump took office in January, with the administration seeking to gut the service's budget by a third.

But the administration has also ordered parks to remain open and accessible to the public, meaning the NPS has had to scramble remaining staff into public-facing roles to maintain appearances to the crowds of visitors. This has meant much of the behind-the-scenes work to protect endangered species, battle invasive plants, fix crumbling infrastructure or plan for the future needs of the US's trove of natural wonders has been jettisoned.

"It's nearly impossible to do the leadership role expected of me," said one superintendent who heads a park in the western US who didn't want to be named for fear of retribution from the administration.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/07/us-national-parks-trump-cuts

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Some parks have had to shorten visitor hours, with the inevitable result being long lines at entrances. Law enforcement at parks has been severely cut. All 13 lifeguard positions are vacant at the Assateague Island national seashore in Maryland and Virginia, so swim at your own risk.

All so our billionaire oligarchs don't have to pay taxes.

[riversedge]

1. ...." for fear of retribution from the (#Trump) administration." Will someone stop Trump or

should I say Can they stop him from this horrible ongoing retribution??

[electric_blue68]

2. Messing w our Parks crown jewels of the USA. Another reason to despise drumphf!

Stay strong, NPS park workers!
I love all parks: small, medium, large, gigantic! Local, State, National!

[kimbutgar]

3. His administration want to sell of the lands to developers, mining, oil and gas companies.

And of course get his kickback to his offshore account. He is so in violation of the emoluments clause.

I bet he has made at least 1 billion dollars in the last 6 months.

[Bayard]

4. I doubt trump has ever been in a national park in his life

And if he did, all he appreciated was how much of it he could turn commercial.

[NewEnglandAutumn]

6. They had no one taking admission fees

At the one I went to last week. There was no staff but it was full. The revenue list was big.

[Hornedfrog2000]

7. The parks dont work

We should sell them to private companies who know how to run parks.

[SergeStorms]

8. Honestly.....

Which would you rather have? Beautiful National Parks, or more tax cuts for billionaires?

[mentalsolstice]

9. We can't have nice things

They’re cutting out affordable vacations for the middle and working class. They want us to be slaves, working 5+ days a week and not enjoying the beauty this country has to offer. I worked for a Fortune 500 bank in the early 2000s, to go on my 10 days of vacation per year, I had to be within constant contact. They weren’t happy when I went to a small cabin in the Smokies for a week.

I imagine we’ll see more of this…..sell off land and leave enough for high end resorts for the uber wealthy.