6 Terminated National Park Service Employees Share Their Story
On Friday, February 14—Valentine’s Day—and the following holiday weekend, a thousand probationary employees of the National Park Service (NPS) received an email in their inbox saying that they were being terminated.
This round of firings, which is part is a much grander effort by the Trump administration to reduce the federal workforce, was abrupt and indiscriminate, possibly illegal and certainly unnecessary.
It targeted probationary employees—people who haven’t worked at their federal job for long enough to get civil protections, usually less than a year. The administration did not, however, look at what these people actually do in the park they work at.
The email the terminated NPS employees received stated that they “failed to demonstrate fitness or qualification for continued employment.” In countless cases—if not nearly all of them—this was entirely false.
Many laid off employees had recently changed jobs within their park, or been transferred to another park, while some had even gotten a promotion, often after having worked there for years. Even despite their track record and positive evaluations from their superiors, this still made them “probationary employees” and, thus, vulnerable.
This reduction in NPS staff throughout the system affects people from all political inclinations and parks all over the country, from Alaska and Hawaii to California to Iowa and Arkansas.
Many national parks that have now lost valuable employees were already understaffed to begin with. People who got terminated included interpretive rangers, SAR crew, wastewater treatment operators, guides, biologists, botanists, and many other positions.
I talked to a number of National Park Service employees who were terminated last week (and/or one of their family members) and were willing to share their story. Additionally, there have been numerous accounts by other laid off employees on social media and other outlets as well.
Laid Off National Park Service Employees Share How They Were Terminated
There’s a clear commonality between all of them: they had experience and expertise, were passionate about their work—often calling it their dream job—and were highly qualified and trained. Another commonality between them was that they happened to have a probationary job with the National Park Service.
Below, you’ll find their testimonies, stories, and experiences.
A Highly Educated, Trained, and Experienced NPS Employee (Hawaii)
A woman who’d been working for the National Park Service since 2020 and had excellent performance evaluations shared why these firings don’t make any sense.
“In just the last few days, over 3,400 Forest Service and over 1,000 National Park Service employees were indiscriminately and illegally fired. The two most common comments I hear are ‘too many bureaucrats getting paid to sit on their asses’ and ‘the budget is unsustainable! We have to trim the fat!’”
“So here’s some facts for you. Let’s start with ‘trim the fat.’ The Park Service gets approximately 1/15th of one percent of your tax money. That 0.000666% of your taxes gets split between 433 NPS sites.”
“Not all of that money goes to salaries: it also goes to pay for every other expense, including equipment, supplies, those Junior Ranger books and badges your kids love, the toilet paper in the bathrooms, everything. In fact, many salaries of rangers in parks aren’t paid with tax money at all, but by donated funds from non-profit associations.”
“Now to the ‘too many bureaucrats’ bit. Do you really think that’s who they’re cutting? They’re cutting people like me: with Master’s degrees, EMT certifications, your Wildland Fire and Search and Rescue, the people who design and present those educational programs you attend, the wildlife management teams.”
“For my job, I had to have all that training and more, plus pass drug tests, firearms tests, and fitness tests. I did what most people can’t so that you could come and do what you loved in the National Parks.”
“Here’s what you get for that 1/15th of 1 percent: If you came to my park and you were unprepared, I would give you maps and guidance. If you were curious, I would give you information. If you wanted assurance that your public spaces would be taken care of, I did that.”
“If you were hurt, I would help you. If you were lost, I would come find you. I would be the one to help you have your best day, or help you out of your worst day. For 1/15th of 1 percent. Where is the fat on that? How much money have you saved?”
“If you voted for this, you deserve to get what you voted for: no beautiful places, and no one left to help you. If you didn’t vote for this, I don’t want your pity. I want your rage. Call Congress and demand action. Support the appeals of your illegally fired public lands employees. Shop from (or just donate to!) the nonprofits that support us. I came to your rescue every time I was called on in every park I worked in. Now it’s your turn to rescue us.”
“For my job, I had to have all that training and more, plus pass drug tests, firearms tests, and fitness tests. I did what most people can’t so that you could come and do what you loved in the National Parks.”
A Carnivore Specialist in Yosemite National Park (California)
Another person shared how her daughter, who works at Yosemite, had several of her friends fired over the weekend. This is one of their stories.
“On Friday, as part of the large scale termination of probationary federal employees, I was fired from my job as the Carnivore Specialist for Yosemite National Park. I led projects doing research on federally endangered carnivore species,” she said.
“I am devastated for myself, but also for the team of amazing biologists I supervised, the incredible programs we worked so hard on, and the resources that will suffer across the country because of this. I want to add that the administration is claiming they only fired ‘poor performers’, that is a lie.”
“Myself and thousands of other fired federal employees were top performers in our respective agencies and have official performance evaluations to prove it. I also want the world to know my position and my projects were all soft funded, meaning they were paid for by grant funds I applied to receive each year from local non-profits. Not a single dime of taxpayer money is being saved by firing me.”
“I share this not for sympathy but in hopes folks will reach out to their representatives to voice their disapproval of these decisions.”
“I am a hard working American just like the next, I have dedicated my life to my work like so many other public servants, and now I am unemployed simply because I was in my position for less than one year. This will have rippling negative effects across the country. Today it is me, who will it be tomorrow?”
“I also want the world to know my position and my projects were all soft funded, meaning they were paid for by grant funds I applied to receive each year from local non-profits. Not a single dime of taxpayer money is being saved by firing me.”
A Conservative Mother and Her Daughter (Idaho/South Dakota)
Proving that this is not a partisan issue, but affects all kinds of Americans across the political spectrum, a Republican-voting mother and daughter from Idaho also expressed their disbelief.
The mother said: “Unfortunately, our 24 year old daughter was also fired from her parks service job, due to this administration’s incompetence. I agree with trying to balance the budget, get rid of wasteful spending, etc, but this is not the way to get the job done. What he’s doing to the issue is shameful and pathetic.”
“I live in Idaho, very red state as you know. I’m a registered Republican but not hard core. I have voted for Democrats in the past. I think that anyone, regardless of political views, needs to be upset at what’s happening,” she added.
“Some people won’t care until it affects them this summer when they try to recreate on any public land and trails are closed, feces and garbage are everywhere, 3 hour long lines at park entrances, closed visitor centers, no passes for popular hiking trails such as Angels Landing, etc. I can go on and on.”
“Many people have absolutely no clue what is actually going on. One of my friends on Facebook saw my daughter’s story and asked if she had been hacked. No clue what’s going on with the government.”
“When I voted for Trump I had no idea he would stoop this low and start firing people right and left. It’s complete BS and I’m baffled at my fellow Republicans who are ok with this. I’ve already emailed my representative in Idaho and plan to follow up with another email in a few days. I also emailed Trump but not even sure that one will be read.”
Her daughter, another highly educated NPS employee, had been working at Jewel Cave National Monument in South Dakota and considered it her dream job. She also shared her experience being laid off, as well as her background, in detail:
“I spent 5 years getting my degrees in college. 3 for my bachelor and 2 for my master’s. I studied geological sciences for both, with a focus on karst, hydrology, and geomorphology. I got offered a job with the Park Service at Jewel Cave National Monument in January of my final year. I accepted and was over the moon! This was my dream job and everything I studied in college fit perfectly with the job description.”
“I moved across the country in May after I graduated and started work June 3rd. My probation was to last a full year. I got along well with everybody in the office and worked on so many projects. My employee evaluation was great and there was absolutely no reason to believe I was underperforming in my job.”
“On Friday, the superintendent was actually having me start getting trained up to help lead cave tours due to our already tiny staff and unlikelihood of getting seasonals. I had been in the cave doing my check off trip so I could lead the wild cave tours when the emails started. I got out of the cave and was told I was fired.”
“I am absolutely heartbroken and can’t believe this is happening. I worked so hard all through college for this and was 3.5 months shy of being out of probation. The termination letter stated that I failed to demonstrate the needed ‘fitness and qualifications’ for my position. This is absolutely bogus, seeing as I got a master’s degree in the subject matter and am quite literally the ONLY staff member able to lead any off trail trips in the cave.”
She also added that “I also tend to vote Republican. I by no means support anything that Trump or his administration is doing as far as these mass firings go. I’m honestly kind of hopeful this will bring the parties closer together. At the very least, that’ll be something good to come from this.”
“The termination letter stated that I failed to demonstrate the needed ‘fitness and qualifications’ for my position. This is absolutely bogus, seeing as I got a master’s degree in the subject matter and am quite literally the only staff member able to lead any off trail trips in the cave.”
A Recently Promoted Employee With 21 Years of Experience (Alaska)
Another woman reached out about her brother’s termination from a position at Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. He’s someone who was close to retirement, had recently been promoted, and had over twenty years of experience.
He said: “I was fired on Valentine’s from the NPS. The email came to my work account while I was on sick leave so didn’t even know it happened until later. I was given thirty minutes to turn in my credentials and vacate my workplace.”
“The decision was made to fire me specifically at the national level and bypassed all levels of leadership I associate with. The termination was based on a technicality that has no merit. I was in probationary status after earning a promotion in the last year, not because I am a new employee as was the intention of the culling.”
“Twenty-one years of service to our nation and nearing retirement, gone on a technicality with no option to appeal. I am not alone in our park. Four others received the exact same termination letter, seemingly chosen at random, and I am sure there will be more coming.”
“The sad thing is the salaries or the people they are firing are hardly a drop in the bucket that is our nation’s spending. This park (Lake Clark NP&P) is being severely impacted and the economic damage will be noticed by this community. How many hundreds of thousands of dollars are brought here annually by visitors of the park and money spent by the park in this community that benefit local businesses?”
“I am writing this not to seek your sympathy but to ask you if this is what you voted for? We all have a right to believe what we want and I place no blame on the individual. If you don’t like what is happening please contact your state legislature.”
“The termination was based on a technicality that has no merit. I was in probationary status after earning a promotion in the last year, not because I am a new employee as was the intention of the culling.”
An Interpretive Ranger at Effigy Mounds (Iowa)
Elsewhere on the Internet, especially on social media, the National Parks Traveler website, LinkedIn, and Reddit, there have been countless testimonies and stories from other laid off park rangers and NPS employees. One such story was widely shared on Facebook.
“I am absolutely heartbroken and completely devastated to have lost my dream job of an Education Park Ranger with the National Park Service this Valentine’s Day,” the former Effigy Mounds National Monument employee said in his emotional post.
“Access to my government email was denied mid-afternoon and my position was ripped out from out under my feet after my shift was over at 3:45pm on a cold snowy Friday. Additionally, before I could fully print off my government records , I was also locked out of my electronic personal file that contained my secure professional records.”
“I am a father, a loving husband, and dedicated civil servant. I am an oath of office to defend and protect the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. I am a work evaluation that reads ‘exceeds expectations.’ I am the ‘fat on the bone.’ I am being trimmed as a consequence of the popular vote.”
“I am a United States flag raiser and folder. I am my son’s ‘Junior Ranger’ idol. I am of the place where I first told my spouse I loved her. I am a college kid’s dream job. I am the smiling face that greets you at the front door. I am your family vacation planner. I am a voice for 19 American Indian cultures.”
“But mostly I’m just tired. I am tired from weeks of being bullied and censored by billionaires. I am tired of waking up every morning at 2am wondering how I am going to provide for my family if I lose my job. I am tired of wiping away my wife’s tears and reassuring her that things will be ok for us and our growing little family that she’s carrying. Things are not ok. I am not ok.”
“I am a father, a loving husband, and dedicated civil servant. I am an oath of office to defend and protect the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. I am a work evaluation that reads ‘exceeds expectations.’”
A Preventive Search and Rescue Educator at Buffalo National River (Arkansas)
Another heartbreaking testimony was posted on Facebook by a woman who’d passionately dedicated her professional life to serving and protecting visitors at Buffalo National River in Arkansas for years.
“I lost my dream job yesterday. I received the notice of termination around 3:00, then was immediately summoned to HQ to sign papers. I was locked out of my government account before I could print off the email.”
“The decision to terminate was based on my ‘probationary’ status, I was in the first year of a 4 year IRA funded term position. The park had no say, they just received a list of four employees to terminate.”
“Did those who made the decision know or care that the main objective of my position is to provide preventive search and rescue education, to keep park visitors safe? Did they know that I have assisted with at least 20 SARs and a few recoveries over the last five years?”
“Did they know that I am part of the visitor and resource protection division, and that I spent my days on the frontline, looking out for the safety of park visitors? Did they know that I have worked in various roles in the park for five years, including my primary position of river ranger, upper district fee collector, emergency hire interp at BPVC, and assisted the concessions division and maintenance divisions as well?”
“Did they know that I stayed in that GS 5 river ranger job, despite opportunities for more permanent positions because I loved looking out for the safety of people on the river, it’s a calling of sorts.”
“Did they know I spent countless hours picking up trash, probably at least 100 mesh bags full over the 5 years?”
“Did they know I spent countless hot summer days at Grinder’s Ferry, talking to campers and passing out mesh trashbags, and countless hot, dusty evenings at Gilbert, attempting to control the chaos? Did they know that I truly loved my job? That I wholeheartedly love the river? That the river is home to me? They had no idea.”
“The park also lost the one and only interp staff at the Buffalo Point visitor center, the only fee collector for the upper district and one of only three maintenance staff in the middle district. Tough times.”
“Did they know that I am part of the visitor and resource protection division, and that I spent my days on the frontline, looking out for the safety of park visitors?”
How This May Impact Your National Park Visit
Depending on the individual park, these job cuts could have potentially serious consequences to your next national park visit.
Possible ways this staff reduction may impact your national parks experience include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Longer traffic lines at park entrances
- Closed campgrounds
- Reduced opening hours of visitor centers
- Fewer ranger tours
- Dirty restrooms
- Overflowing trash bins
- Stalled construction projects
- Unmaintained or closed trails
- Delayed search-and-rescue response
What You Can Do To Help
If you care about our national parks, their dedicated employees, and the peril they both find themselves in at the moment, there are few things you can do to help.
The first, and arguably most important, action you can take is letting Congress know how seriously this is affecting hard-working, genuine, passionate, and qualified Americans—on both sides of the political aisle. You can conveniently do that by filling out this form on the National Parks Conservation Association website.
Additionally, you can also contact your Senator or Representative directly.
Other ways to help is by donating to conservation associations like the abovementioned National Parks Conservation Association, the National Park Foundation, or the National Forest Foundation.
In a more practical way, when visiting national parks and forests, always make sure to follow the seven Leave No Trace Principles. This is more important than ever, considering that public lands may have fewer staff available. Keep yourself safe, keep the landscape clean, leave the wildlife alone, and look out for other visitors as well.
Are you or do you know a National Park Service employee who was recently terminated? Feel free to reach out to us if you’d like to share your story. Please contact us via our Facebook page.
