"Secretary Burgum’s actions are making it impossible for the Park Service to protect the very places and resources Americans hold dear." - Theresa Pierno, NPCA's President and CEO
Washington, DC – New court filings detail the Interior Department’s plans for substantial staffing cuts across its agencies, including major reductions at the National Park Service. The filings were submitted in response to a federal court order issued after a judge temporarily blocked the administration’s attempt to lay off thousands of federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s planned staff cuts include over 2,000 Department of the Interior positions, including 272 National Park Service staff in regional offices and positions directly supporting maintenance projects and cultural and natural resource protection. The numbers reported include only certain union-represented employees under the current court order, meaning the overall number of planned staff reductions is likely much larger.
In May, approximately 1,600 National Park Service employees were pulled from the National Park Service and transferred into the Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary. These employees are also likely included in the list submitted in the court filings. This so-called consolidation hollowed out critical functions at national parks and raised serious concerns about the agency’s ability to operate and communicate effectively. Now, those same staff face the risk of termination, along with even more employees who support maintenance projects and safeguard the natural and cultural resources in national parks across the country.
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) warns that these cuts would break an already overwhelmed Park Service, which has been struggling for months. Already this year more than 4,000 staff left under duress and a nine-month-long hiring freeze has prevented key positions from being refilled. Despite impacts at parks and supporting offices nationwide, Secretary Burgum continues to push reckless, short-sighted policies that undermine both the mission and the future of America’s national parks. NPCA demands Secretary Burgum and the administration restore park staffing levels and prevent any further cuts to park staffing and funding.
Statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):
“This court filing confirms our worst fears. Secretary Burgum is preparing to slash thousands of positions at the Department of the Interior, including at least hundreds of National Park Service staff. These court filings offer a glimpse of what’s ahead, with only a small portion of the planned layoffs disclosed so far. No matter the size, any additional cuts to the Park Service will be devastating.
“Under Secretary Burgum’s watch, the Park Service has already lost more than a quarter of its permanent staff, leaving parks dangerously understaffed and unprotected. Even before 9,000 park staff were furloughed due to the government shutdown, staff were already being pulled from the field, visitor centers were closing, and critical maintenance and research were falling behind.
“Now, Secretary Burgum is targeting regional offices, cultural preservation, resource protection and park construction, as well as the Park Service’s IT, HR and communications staff. These staff are essential to ensuring that the National Park Service can fulfill its mission of preserving park resources and values for the enjoyment of future generations. Yet their jobs are now on the chopping block.
“The risks are clear and we’re already seeing the consequences unfold during the current government shutdown and the dramatic staffing cuts since January. Secretary Burgum’s actions are making it impossible for the Park Service to protect the very places and resources Americans hold dear.”
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
