Nationwide national park protests planned as Trump administration makes ‘no moves’ to put fired staff back to work

Protests at Yosemite National Park
Hundreds protest at Yosemite National Park on March 1, 2025 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Nationwide protests in support of sacked National Park Service workers will take place this weekend after the Trump administration appealed against judicial orders to give them back their jobs.

The Resistance Rangers campaign group has organized rallies and teach-ins at more than 170 different locations across the country on Saturday, March 22.

The group, which is comprised of more than 1,000 off-duty park staff, is encouraging concerned citizens to "show solidarity with unlawfully-fired federal workers".

In a statement the organisation said the protests would "demonstrate that the American people want their public lands to be preserved and protected for future generations".

The protests have been organized in response to the Trump administration appealing the rulings of two federal judges, who ordered it to reinstate more than 24,000 sacked probatory federal workers.

Among this number were 1,000 NPS employees. The rulings required the NPS to immediately reinstate each one and follow the proper regulatory process if it still decided to dismiss them.

The NPS confirmed its intentions to do so in a statement to Advnture: "The Department will comply with the court’s order while the White House works through the appeals process."

However, officials have "made no moves to start putting crucial staff back to work," according to a separate statement from the Resistance Rangers. Instead, agency heads were told to 'await further instruction', before rehiring any staff, according to a report in National Parks Traveler.

An appeal launched by the Department of the Interior argues that rehiring the sacked workers would cause 'significant confusion', and burden the agencies affected.

National Park Service ranger

Park rangers oversee America's 63 national parks and look after visitors (Image credit: Getty Images)

Alongside the sacking of probationary workers, thousands of temporary staff have had their job offers rescinded, and many full-time employees continue to take voluntary redundancy.

With a depleted workforce, fears have been raised that America's national parks will be unsafe and understaffed during the busy summer period, when millions of Americans come to camp, run, and hike in the North American wilderness.

Protesters first took to the streets on March 1, to show their disapproval of the mass layoffs.


Will Symons
Staff Writer

Will Symons developed his love of the outdoors as a student, exploring every inch of Sussex’s South Downs national park and wild swimming off the Brighton seafront. Now a Staff Writer for Advnture, Will previously worked as a freelance journalist and writer, covering everything from cricket to ancient history. Like most Advnture staff, Will’s time is rarely spent indoors, he can often be found hiking, wild swimming or playing cricket.