— Written by Lyle Jarvis

Our Parks Run on Rangers 🥾

As part of a federal firing spree, the National Parks Service was forced to lay off roughly a thousand employees last month, about 5% of their total workforce. What’s worse, the NPS had already been losing employees before the recent layoffs, their staffing numbers showing a steady decline since 2010 (down about 13 percent), despite park visits continuing to rise over the same time period.

Those employees are instrumental in keeping our parks running and preserving them for us to enjoy. They manage trail upkeep, run programs and camps for kids, staff visitor centers, keep guests safe from things like wild animals, or any other dangers found in the outdoors.

A future with fewer park rangers paints a nasty picture: overflowing bathrooms, closed visitor centers, injured or lost hikers stranded on the trails, and less of the things that make park visits special, like guided tours.

As layoffs continue, it raises concern over how our parks will survive with fewer employees – especially as the high season of spring and summer approaches. In fact, parks across the U.S. have already begun adjusting their operations due to short staffing. Axios reported traffic at Zion was backed up for more than a half-mile as gate booths were understaffed. And according to The Washington Post, wait times at a Grand Canyon entrance were twice as long as usual.

Since these firings were announced, they’ve sparked huge amounts of pushback. A Facebook post from the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, announcing reduced operations garnered more than 20,000 comments, many of which were voicing frustration toward the firings. Rangers at Yosemite hung an upside-down flag at the park’s famous “El Capitan” summit – a distress signal for the challenges our parks are facing.

In response to the pushbacks, Trump may be backtracking (partially) his plans for these staffing cuts. As the busy season approaches, we’ll be watching closely to see whether or not public resistance helps foil federal efforts.

Healthy park tourism doesn't just impact workers, they contribute to the health of nearby communities across the U.S.. If our parks continue to struggle, ordinary Americans who run small businesses, like concession stands, tours or nearby hospitality, will also be paying the price.

Our Public Lands Aren’t For Sale ⛔

These new firings aren’t the only thing putting public lands at risk. Instead they’re part of a larger theme – the federal government’s pivot from conservation to extraction.

In 2018, the National Parks Conservation Association found that 68 parks or sites “could be harmed” by the first Trump administration’s proposal to expand offshore drilling. Considering Trump’s more recent, outspoken ambitions for producing oil and gas, drilling in or around national parks remains a very real possibility now that he’s back in office.

Upon inauguration, he (with some help from congress) already made it easier to sell off our public lands. This means we'd lose access to some of America’s most treasured landscapes, and leave them in the hands of the highest bidder (take a wild guess as to who that might be).

Drilling oil and gas around park lands poses a whole host of threats. It harms fragile ecosystems, breaks up wildlife habitats, pollutes air and water, and stains the scenic landscapes we love about our national parks.

Polls tell us Americans on both sides of the aisle want to protect their access to nature. Whether it's through state and local efforts, writing letters to our leaders, or supporting our local parks, we can remind the federal government: the places we love aren’t for sale.

Supporting Our Parks ❤️‍🩹

Donating to your local lands is a great way to help protect them. You can donate on a national level through the National Park Foundation, or National Parks Conservation Association, or find your local park here!

Supporting our parks doesn't have to mean donating your money. If you live nearby a National Park, Forest, or other public land, see if you can volunteer your time to fill the staffing gaps. The National Park Service has volunteer opportunities across the country which range from one day commitments to ongoing work.  You can even earn free park access with a Volunteer Pass after 250 hours of volunteering.  They need our help hosting campgrounds, keeping trails in good shape, cleaning up litter, working in nurseries, and providing educational programming for visitors including kids.  It’s the responsibility of all of us to preserve our parks for everyone to enjoy!

📣 Announcements 📣

🎥 Join us and our friends at Project Dandelion in celebrating the inspiring story of lifelong climate advocate and Ireland's first female President, Mary Robinson.

Starting on International Women’s Day, March 8, through Earth Day, April 22, screenings of the new documentary MRS ROBINSON will be happening all over the globe. The film follows Mrs. Robinson's journey as she fulfills her life's greatest mission—taking a stand for climate justice.

Watch the film's trailer here, and learn about engaging your local community by hosting a watch party at kinema.com!

📝 Our friends at American University are working on a project to track the effects of the wildfires (and threat of wildfire on individuals).

If you were affected by the LA Wildfires and you’d like to help further their work, please fill out this short, anonymous survey and/or share with your social networks to help us learn more about the social effects of the disaster: Survey link here.

🌴Los Angeles Climate Week is BACK from April 6 -13. LA Climate Week is a community-driven initiative that brings together climate organizations, policymakers, innovators, companies, and changemakers from LA and beyond. Want to attend? You can check out all the events here 👉 LA Climate Week 2025 Events Calendar. Hosting an event you’d like to add? You can register your event now at this link 👉 LA Climate Week 2025 Event Submission.