The United States National Park Service and Forest Service are in trouble.
Last week, the U.S. Forest Service announced it would be firing around 3,400 recent hires, and the National Park Service would terminate about 1,000 employees under President Donald Trump’s push to cut federal spending, according to Reuters.
These cuts represent about 10% of the U.S. Forest Service workforce and about 5% of national park employees.
The federal budget cuts also exempt 5,000 seasonal positions under a hiring freeze, just before the country’s national parks experience peak visitor seasons. Around 325 million people visit National Park sites each year, and 159 million use national forests annually.
This decision comes from the U.S. House of Representatives fiscal year 2025 spending bill for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, which cuts $210 million — or 6% — from the annual budget of the NPS.
These cuts also slash funding the Park Service’s maintenance budget, as well as historic preservation funding. The bill also rolls back protections for national parks and public lands from damaging oil and gas activities.
According to the National Parks Conservation Association — a nonprofit organization that has helped fund park stewardship and conservation since 1919 — these cuts would “devastate” the country’s park system when a number of sites are already understaffed and underfunded.
According to NPCA, even prior to these budget cuts, the National Park Service receives one-fifteenth of one percent of the federal budget, a “tiny slice” that “delivers significant economic benefits,” with $15 in economic activity generated for each dollar invested.
“National parks are part of our American identity. They mean so much to so many people, yet this is clearly not reflected in the House’s bill,” Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, said in a statement.
“Something must change, and these funding cuts couldn’t be further from the answer.”
Here are five simple ways everyday Americans can help national parks during this time.
How to help national parks right now
Sign a petition.
The NPCA has collected a handful of petitions that would send a message directly to elected officials calling for action to protect the country’s parks.
With a simple input of one’s name, address, and contact information, the nonprofit will do the hard work to tally supporters in the fight for the country’s parks.
- Tell Congress to Protect National Park Service Staff
- Tell Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to protect national monuments from oil, gas, and mining
- Tell Congress national parks are worth fighting for
- Tell Congress to fund historic and cultural sites nationwide
- Tell Congress to protect wildlife in national parks
Call your elected officials.
One way to level up your civic engagement? Call your elected officials directly about the issues that matter to you.
Start by finding your elected officials in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Once you have found your senators and representatives, you can call them and read the following script, inspired by NPCA’s advocacy efforts:
Hello!
My name is [insert name here], and I am a constituent in [insert zip code here]. I am calling today as a national park lover and constituent of [insert name of elected official here] because I have some concerns about the future of our parks.
New budget cuts introduced by Congress would slash funding for the National Park Service and lay off thousands of staff.
Our communities and economies rely on our parks – and parks rely on National Park Service rangers and staff. As your constituent, I want you to do everything in your power to protect National Park Service staff from these egregious staffing cuts.
Please call on Secretary Burgum to stop slashing the National Park Service staff and ask him to waive the hiring freeze for the agency.
Improperly funding the budget for national parks undermines the very places our lawmakers like you have promised to protect.
Thank you.
Volunteer.
Staffing cuts across park sites will affect us all. Visitors can expect to see decreased park maintenance, longer wait times, fewer educational programs, reduced safety support, and more.
One way to help mitigate some of these impacts is to volunteer to help take care of these beloved public lands. Many parks rely on regular volunteers to maintain trails and public areas, as well as support conservation efforts.
Find a volunteer opportunity near you!
Donate to national parks and the U.S. Forest Service.
Organizations like the NCPA, National Park Foundation, and National Forest Foundation are vital in preserving and protecting the country’s parks and public lands.
Even a few dollars can go a long way in helping to maintain core park and forest functions amid budget cuts.
- Donate to the National Park Conservation Association
- Donate to the National Park Foundation
- Donate to the National Forest Foundation
Leave no trace.
If you are able to visit national parks in the coming weeks and months, be extra sure to be a responsible and gracious guest. This means following Leave No Trace principles to best protect parks and reduce your impact on both the environment and short-staffed ranger teams.
