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Asking National Park Service rangers how the Trump administration’s cost cuts will affect their next park visit could potentially give them some talk instead of a straight answer.
A series of emails sent to Parks frontline staff around the country later last month provided rangers with instructions on how to explain the highly publicized staff cuts. The park leader also instructed staff to avoid the word “dismissal” and did not condemn staffing levels of closure.
On February 14, at least 1,000 Park Service employees were fired as part of a major cut in the federal workforce by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Office of Government Efficiency. As a result, the visitor center has reduced time, tours of popular attractions have been cancelled, lines spiraled, bathrooms may not be dirty, habitat recovery has been stopped, and water is gone due to toxic algae.
Meanwhile, rangers are ordered to describe these cuts, or “attenuation” and “workforce management actions,” as “prioritizing financial responsibility” and “staffing to meet the evolving needs of visitors.” They should also inform visitors that the park will continue to ensure “memorable and meaningful experiences for everyone.”
When asked about limited products, a ranger at one park was instructed to say, “At this time, we cannot address park or program level impacts.”
The guidance reflects other measures enacted by the Trump administration to determine how federal employees communicate with the public. This month, employees at the National Cancer Institute were told they needed to approve communications that address 23 “controversial, prominent or sensitive” issues, including peanut allergies and autism. The New York Times is beginning to compile lists of words to avoid federal agencies nationwide as they may contradict Trump’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Guidance provided to park employees puts rangers in a particularly difficult position, said Emily Darth, vice president of the National Park Conservation Association, the park advocacy group. Rangers take pride in their knowledge of the park and their responsibility to accurately educate the public about the habitat, wildlife and geology of those special sites.
“They should not be splattered to not talk about the implications of the meaning of these cuts,” Doose said. “If they are asked, they should be true about how federal dollars are being used or taken away.”
An NPS spokesman said in an email statement that the park staff “is wrong to stay silent,” and is a “basic tool” to “ensure consistent communication with the public.”
“The National Park Service is fully committed to responsible management of public lands and enhancing the visitor experience, and we are not distracted by sensational attacks designed to undermine its mission,” the statement said.
The spokesman also criticized Park staff who spoke with Propublica Reporter. “Millions of hardworking Americans deal with workplace challenges every day without resorting to politically motivated leaks,” the spokesman said.
One park ranger who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation said the point of discussion would prevent rangers from telling the truth to the public. Some employees deliver statements in an exaggerated “monotone” to tell visitors they are connecting the company’s lines, but there’s more to the story, Ranger said.
“We have an obligation to tell the public what’s going on,” Ranger said. “If that’s what it says, they say, ‘We’re still having staff open and that’s what these shots are doing.’ I think people have a right to know. Everyone we lose hurts. ”
Shortly after the shooting, Parks immediately closed the Visitor Center, ended the tour and changed other services. Some parks have made it clear on social media that staffing has led to the closure. However, recent parks have been more vague when discussing impacts, and no explanations for specific closures are provided.
The administration has announced that it will recover approximately 50 NPS employees and advance the employment of seasonal employees. However, the hiring process is delayed and can lead to operational disruptions. And there could be more cuts. Hill recently reported that the administration is considering a 30% pay cut for NPS.
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Reductions occur as the park sees an increase in visits. This marked the first record in 2024 since 2016. The new data was released last week on the Park Services website, but the administration did not publish the milestone in previous news releases. This termination occurs despite a shortage of staff across services.
Avivaon Neil, executive director of the Great Basin National Park Foundation, a nonprofit that supports small parks on a remote corner of Nevada, blissed the idea that Parks could continue to cut and offer the same level of “memorable experiences.” When the park lost five of its 26 full-time employees in February, it was forced to close Lehman Cave, a tour of the signature attraction. To help restore services, the foundation raised funds to temporarily hire fired workers.
“How do they run their daily lives when there are no staff?” she said.
