People visiting national parks in the US could face "overflowing trash, uncleaned bathrooms, and fewer rangers" this summer after a hiring freeze by the Trump administration.
That's the claim of the National Parks Conservation Association, which says the move has left park jobs in jeopardy.
Thousands of summer workers who run America's 63 national parks have had their job offers rescinded, according to the NPCA, an independent organization that advocates for national parks and conservation issues.
Each year, the National Parks Service hires an army of temporary workers to help manage the nation's wilderness areas through the busy summer months. About 8,000 seasonal workers provide varying essential services from fee collection to search and rescue coordination.
But last month, their future was thrown into doubt when US President Donald Trump signed an executive order stopping all new hiring of federal employees.
The same day, then Secretary of the Interior Walter Cruickshank signed a secretarial order exempting seasonal employees from the freeze.
However, despite the exemption, reports continue of seasonal workers being told they no longer have job offers. The NPCA claims that roughly 2,000 seasonal workers have had offers rescinded amid confusion over the hiring freeze.
In addition, permanent employees have been given the option to resign from their current posts and receive payment until the end of September 2025.
The Trump administration also ordered the NPS to declare all employees who haven't completed their one-year probationary period, as well as those employed with money from the Inflation Reduction Act, or thanks to programs related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
These measures come at a bad time for the National Park Service, which has lost 20% of its staff since 2010, while visits to America's national parks have simultaneously increased by 16%.
More than 300 million people visit national parks every year to hike, camp, and run in the unspoiled North American wilderness.
Kristen Brengel, the NPCA’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, believes fewer workers will mean a worse experience for visitors.
“Visitors from around the world come to our national parks expecting a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but instead could be met with overflowing trash, uncleaned bathrooms, and fewer rangers to provide guidance," she said on the NCPA website.
"These are not the memories we want people to take away from their experience at our parks.”
Advnture has approached National Parks Service for comment.
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