The only Em Tranger in nearby Devil Pile National Monument, the experienced sled dog Musher in Denali National Park, Alaska’s only locksmith in Yosemite National Park, California.
These are just a few of the thousands of national parks and forest workers that were suddenly terminated by the Trump administration last week, and some have called the “Valentine’s Day Massacre.”
Approximately 2,000 employed employees have been fired by the U.S. Forest Service, and another 1,000 jobs have been cut by the National Park Service. The end, which was part of a broader push to reduce federal bureaucracy and spending, has baffled federal workers and worried about the future of public lands.
“These people are not swamps, they are not bureaucrats,” said Steve Gutierrez, along with the National Federation of Federal Workers. “They feel like the government doesn’t have their backs.”
NBC News spoke with 18 current and former employees of national parks and forests across the country. They described working on public land as a dream job, joking that their low wages were offset by beautiful sunsets.
As ranks decline, park rangers say there are fewer employees for hikers and campers during busy tourist season, meaning long entrances, dirty bathrooms and potentially unsafe conditions.
“The land is still there, but no one to manage them. People fear that they will lose access if they don’t have staff to maintain and run campsites. “The masses are to be served.” There is none.”
Last summer, Farrell spent a lot of time in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon, cleaning fire pits and toilets, picking up trash, and posting maps and info signs on the trail patrol trail near Kiosks and Wildfire. did.
Kevin Farrell of the Mackenzie River Forest Service in the Willamette National Forest in western Oregon in the summer of 2024.
His 25 years of experience working on state and federal lands was shortened last week when he received his firing email. His time as a Willamette trial employee – he was in that position for less than a year – was the agency’s standard despite being reviewed by the supervisor “beyond expectations and far exceeded” He said he didn’t meet.
All three of his crew were fired last week, Farrell said. Others in his district, including those working at the front desk and taking backcountry patrols, were also let go. He said 12 of the 18 people in his district were fired last week.
“The last people there were all dedicated and dedicated civil servants who enjoyed their work and got to work with the right attitude,” he said. “Our supervisors called us the ‘dream team’. ”
In an emailed statement, the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, said many of the finished positions were funded by the Inflation Reduction Act under President Joe Biden.
“We have a strict responsibility to be a good custodian of Americans’ hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and ensure that every dollar spent on people, not bureaucracy, serves the people. We guarantee that we will do so,” the statement was partially read.
Forest Service officials Kevin Farrell and Anna Elliott built an information kiosk on the Mackenzie River in western Oregon in the summer of 2024 (Kevin Farrell).
White House spokesman Anna Kelly said in a statement that the Trump administration will “rationalize federal agencies and serve the American people while protecting the rich natural resources of Americans.”
The National Park Service did not respond to a request for comment.
At Devil’s Post Pile National Monument in eastern California, Alex Wild said hikers and campers often first arrived when they were experiencing a health emergency. Until last week, he was the only certified EMT ranger in the park with staff who could run CPR. He is now worried that he will have to wait hours for his local first responder to arrive when people are in a life-threatening situation.
“That can mean life and death for someone with an emergency,” he said.
Democrats denounced federal job cuts and called out “damage and myopia” in a letter signed by 20 Democrats in early February.
The letter also warned that massive cuts could create “staffing disruptions” in national parks.
“This not only threatened the full suite of visitor services, but also allowed the entire park to be completely closed,” the senator wrote.
Along with the National Park Conservation Agency, Kristen Brengel said the end reflects “bad business decisions” by the Trump administration. The park attracts millions of visitors each year. In 2023, it supported an estimated 415,000 jobs and $55.6 billion in total economic activity, according to a letter from the senator. They are economically important to the Gateway community, appealing to large, bipartisan bases across all ages and demographics.
“Americans have said it over and over again. We want to have a place that is not commercialized,” she said.
In Alaska’s Denali National Park and Reserve, sled dogs are one of the biggest attractions for tourists each year. People come from all over the world, meet dog rangers, learn about the work they do in the park and watch demonstrations.
Mitch Flaherty was part of the staff at a small kennel that cared for 31 dogs. His experience made him a key employee during the community pandemic, with his experience in training, raising and operating dogs when Denali was closed.
It’s best to have 3-5 people working with four rangers taking part in three demonstrations a day during the high season. The kennel team has fallen one by one after Flaherty was fired last week.
“If you don’t have enough staff, don’t run your dog during the demonstration,” he said. “Visitors are always upset when they can’t see their dogs actually working and pulling their carts. That’s definitely a major attraction.”
Recently, due to a reduction in talent from the Forest Service, popular trailheads and snow parks near Seattle have been closed, known as Franklin Falls Trailhead.
“We’re committed to providing a great deal of support for our team,” said Jon Hoekstra, executive director of Sound Greenway Trust, a Seattle-based nonprofit protection organization. “Usually there are no frontline forest department staff out there for safety, to help people in sanitation, cleaning, and in a pinch. Those people aren’t there now, so they’re not going to be there. .”
Hoekstra said the Forest Service was also delinquent on bills submitted by his nonprofit for conservation work funded by the Great American Outdoor Act, including habitat recovery and improving trailheads. Includes:
“Frozen these payments has been unprecedented in my decade,” Hoekstra said. “That’s very unusual. Most federal contracts are refund-based. We come in to work, we have budgets and we have expenses, so we submit invoices and get paid.”
Sidney Hansen, a 24-year-old physical science and technology expert, said he came out of a gem cave in South Dakota, the country’s second-longest cave.
Hansen stripped off his knee pads, helmet, elbow pads, cave packs and muddy boots.
“They tainted us, and I’m not grateful for it at all,” Hansen said this week. “I was proud of all the work I did and was proud to work at Park Services. I know this isn’t necessarily because of the park service. I’m just us. I am not satisfied with the government or completely proud of it.”
The firing letter stated that she “failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for ongoing employment,” and that her expertise did not meet the needs of her service.
The performance review of Hansen, obtained by NBC News, suggested that it was not the case. According to reviews, Hansen “exceeds expectations.” This describes it as a quick learner who is “careful and accurate in all jobs” and a quick learner who is always prepared for both the ground and the under-taking tasks.
Hansen provided cave tours to visitors, helping them lead their explorations with a cave network of over 220 miles, and assisting in biology, cartography and wildlife projects. Without her, the caves are less safe and it is likely that visitors will not have many options on the tour, Hansen said.
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