(NewsNation) — The Trump administration is looking at a 30% cut in payroll at the National Park Service.
A former employee told NewsNation affiliate The Hill that managers were asked to put together plans to cut 30% of payroll. The reduction would not necessarily lead to a 30% cut in staffing, since some employees make more than others.
Workforce reductions in the Park Service have been on the table as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency move to make sweeping cuts on government spending. At least 10% of federal jobs have been cut since January.
Former Park Service employees say a payroll reduction would immediately impact park janitors and rangers — and would put conservation efforts at risk in the long term.
The Park Service normally employs about 20,000 full-time and seasonal workers, but those numbers have recently been reduced. The Trump administration has fired 1,000 probationary employees, and about 700 employees have accepted federal buyouts.
The impacts of the staffing cuts already made are reportedly already being felt at national parks, with longer lines at entrances, canceled park ranger tours and reduced hours.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has pledged to hire around 5,000 to 7,000 seasonal employees before the spring and summer seasons.
“It’s just absolutely infuriating and heartbreaking,” California resident Jennifer Roberts told NewsNation about the potential cuts. “The rangers don’t do this for the money. They do this because they care about protecting the environment and about the visitors.”
The National Park Service saw a record number of visitors in 2024, with more than 331.8 million visits reported at parks across the country.
NewsNation affiliate The Hill contributed to this story.
