The Keepers of Our Heritage

The history and wonder of our nation are embodied in our national parks, with stories and traditions that knit together the American story. Exploring the landscapes of Yosemite and history of Birmingham Civil Rights wouldn’t be possible without the historians, biologists, archivists, rangers and more who keep that heritage safe for all of us to see, experience and pass on to our children and grandchildren.

National parks have lost nearly 1 out of 4 of their staff in 2025, thanks to pressured buyouts and retirements. At the same time, more visitors than ever are flocking to national parks, forcing remaining park staff to set aside the work of preserving our nation’s natural and cultural heritage just to deal with basic maintenance and safety. At Olympic National Park, staffing cuts threaten one of our nation’s greatest conservation success stories…

Imagine America without… salmon in Olympic’s Elwha River

The loss of just two jobs could unwind decades of conservation in one of the crown jewels of the Northwest.

[NPCA@100] Elwha River for Timeline

Elwha River in Olympic National Park

© Dendron | Dreamstime.com

Olympic National Park is one of the last great salmon sanctuaries in the country. With over 4,000 miles of rivers and streams within its boundaries, the park provides critical habitat for all five species of Pacific salmon, keystone species for people, predators, and forest ecology. Tribes here have depended on salmon for subsistence and cultural practices since time immemorial, and many species in the park’s ecosystem depend on salmon for their diet. The work of monitoring the salmon population to ensure the health of the park and its waterways was managed by just two National Park Service employees until 2025, when the administration’s harmful personnel directives brought this critical restoration work to a standstill.

Blog Post

The Elwha River, Undammed

After years of work, the Elwha River at Olympic is undammed and flowing again. The salmon—and the white-water rafters—are loving it!

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Now there are no permanent fisheries staff remaining at the park. This gap in staffing threatens the park’s ability to monitor salmon, restore habitat and partner with Tribes to steward salmon recovery in the Elwha River and the many others throughout the park.

A decade ago, the removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams reopened more than 70 miles of river, giving salmon back their ancestral pathways and allowing for the historic recovery of endangered species in decline. It was an investment to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, but recovery and restoration projects are still in progress. Without National Park Service staff to continue this work, recovery of the salmon population at Olympic could stall at precisely the wrong time, threatening decades of restoration and weakening the entire park ecosystem.