Thousands of National Park Service employees face job cuts under President Trump’s plan to shrink the federal workforce, jeopardizing efforts to protect public lands from climate change.
Twilight Greenaway reports for Grist.
In short:
- After laying off about 1,000 park employees in February, the Trump administration plans to cut up to 30% of the National Park Service’s workforce, impacting both public-facing staff and scientists tracking climate impacts.
- Federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law remains frozen, endangering projects focused on restoring ecosystems, removing invasive species, and relocating climate-threatened wildlife.
- As national parks face hotter temperatures, stronger wildfires, and heavier flooding, park staff say a lack of trained personnel could lead to permanent damage and the loss of species.
Key quote:
“Without the staff and their scientific and institutional knowledge, these actions may not occur, and species could be lost.”
— Terri Thomas, retired natural resources manager
Why this matters:
National parks are living laboratories showing what’s at stake as climate shifts accelerate. Scientists and rangers stationed in national parks have become de facto emergency responders, tracking vanishing snowpack, rescuing wildlife from heat stress, and battling longer, more intense fire seasons. But with shrinking budgets and thinning staff, many parks are struggling to keep pace. Years of conservation work are now at risk of unraveling, just when we need these wild places most—not only as refuges for biodiversity, but as vital carbon sinks helping to slow climate change.
Related: Interior Department fires thousands as federal layoffs expand
