National Parks Slash 1,000 Jobs; Visitor Delays, Closures Follow

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Trump administration's February layoffs of 1,000 National Park Service employees have triggered nationwide protests and created hour-long entrance lines at popular destinations.

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Grand Canyon visitors now face 90-minute waits with only 11 fee collectors managing entrances that served nearly 5 million people last year.

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Critical infrastructure projects like the Grand Canyon's Transcanyon Waterline restoration face delays as scientists and specialists who maintained trails and habitats were terminated.

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Carlsbad Caverns canceled all ranger-led tours while Florissant Fossil Beds now closes two days weekly, showing how cuts directly impact public access.

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Park Service staff received strict talking points ordering them to avoid terms like "fired" and not blame closures on staffing levels, despite obvious operational impacts.

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Chuck Sams, former NPS director, warned the service needs 15-25% more staff to fulfill its mandate, not the 10% reduction implemented in February.

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Two federal judges ordered reinstatement of fired probationary workers after finding layoffs were carried out under false pretenses, but the administration has appealed.

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National parks contributed $55 billion to the economy while facing a $12 billion maintenance backlog, making additional cuts particularly damaging.

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Despite enjoying highest favorability ratings among federal agencies with both Democrats and Republicans, parks face potential additional 30% payroll reduction.

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These places belong to all of us," said terminated NPS employee Lynda Jones, highlighting the universal importance of national parks across political divides.

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