National Parks & the Government Shutdown

Tires turn parallel to faded road lines. Cars are lined up to go to parks- some bumper to bumper, some an easy drive through. No matter the condition, each car is full of people waiting to go through the open gates to the unmanned National Park entrances. The ranger kiosk, the ones that collect the permits, passes, and money, sits stagnant with manila folder-colored blinds pulled shut. It is open season for the public to traipse into federal parks.

What should be an excited anticipation is soon vanquished by the tidal wave of trash scattered throughout the park. Piles of human feces and toilet paper surround the bathrooms. The sight is unsettling, but not nearly as jarring as the smell that permeates in the twenty-, thirty-, or fifty-foot radius around the toilet.

On the trail, the nature that has been so intently preserved has been callously trampled on, with human foot traffic veering off-trail to kill the native species that are irreparably damaged. National Parks and federal land that should be accessible within reason have succumbed to the human condition of believing that we, as humans, have a right to everything without consequence. Unlimited resources, all for our pleasure. But the thing is, when everybody acts that way- with no reverence or respect- then what was meant to be enjoyed is tarnished, and humans move onto the next best thing. 

From Trails to Timber: How Government Cuts Directly Relate to Federal Land Mining

This is the plan for national parks. I understand it is a dismal perspective. It is also a reality. I pray to God that I am wrong, but this is the Trump administration’s ultimate goal: cut all staff from parks, make parks unusable, privatize that land, and then use it for “resource mining”. 

That is the simplified version. This has been a long time coming. During this current government shutdown, 9,296 agency employees are furloughed, according to Doug Burgum’s “National Park Service Contingency Plan.” That is roughly 2/3 of current park employees, those left over from the first job-massacre we saw with DOGE. Like most federal agencies in limbo, the general talk of the town is that the furloughs will lead to firings, if they haven’t been fired already.

Here is the absolutely bonkers part: The number of visitors to parks has grown by 32.7 million over the past decade (292.8 million in 2014 vs 325.5 million in 2023). In that same time frame, the full-time NPS staff shrank. 2014 included 19,894 full-time NPS staff. 2023 had an estimated 19,390. Sustaining growth by that many millions of visitors means a greater need for resources, not less. Then DOGE hit. Expanding into the larger Department of the Interior (DOI), around 2,300 employees were fired. It is estimated that 1,000 of those fired were NPS employees. This is a pretty substantial cut considering the NPS made the United States $55.6 billion. I mean, granted, it is only 10% of what Elon Musk is worth, but hey, it’s pretty substantial! 

An already crowded Angels Landing in Zion

Here’s the thing. Parks need employees to operate. However, the ultimate goal of this administration is not to have operable parks. It is to dismantle the parks and turn what should be protected land into a monstrosity, so they have an excuse to terminate it. I’m not talking about the “tourist” parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone, those so obviously in the spotlight. I mean all the small parks that go generally unnoticed. The lands that do not warrant public approval are the ones that are in the most danger, while those that bring in the most revenue stay in the spotlight for “poor experiences” since they are so understaffed. This is currently happening.

Let's Talk About Alaska

During this shutdown, Trump just signed the go-ahead to open the Alaska Wilderness to drilling and road-building.  THIS IS DEVASTATING. 1.56 million acres, home to countless wildlife, are up for lease to oil companies. The U.S. Department of the Interior is leasing this wildlife land to private oil companies. The deal draws the literal roadmap for construction, drawing a line through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. This action is already being fought, thank goodness. However, the principle and prophecy remain: this administration sees land and asks itself, “How can I profit?” 

The question of profit is not to be approached lightly, and there is no one way to answer it. Of course, economic stability and resources are important. I am not disputing that. I just believe resources should be allocated to other avenues, like wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. That which was in place before the current administration came in and wiped away progress for the sake of pride and conditional prosperity. Don’t believe me? You don’t need to! Take it from Doug Burgum (DOI) himself! Believe them when they tell you what they’re going to do.  

Let Me Summarize the Issues the National Parks Face:

1. National park staffing has been on a slow decrease since 2010, then rapidly decreased in the ever-gnawing jaw that was Musk and Trump’s DOGE, not at all helped by Doug Burgum’s reign of power over the Department  of the Interior

2. As the current ratio of staffing shortages to visitors, parks will suffer. This means both the visitor’s experience (long lines, unmanaged facilities, lack of proper safety measures) and conservation (biological studies, recreation vs conservation efforts, habitat restoration, etc.) will be dismissed. 

3. The Trump Administration’s plan- spearheaded by the Department of the Interior’s Doug Burger, with honorable mention of the Department of Agriculture's Brooke Rollins - is to take public land and lease it for “energy production.” THIS IS HAPPENING NOW. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” mandates at least two million acres of land sales (with 250 million eligible for sale).

Let Me Summarize the Issues of National Parks and the Government Shutdown:

National Parks remaining open during the shutdown have devastating consequences to the land and the future of the parks. 

What Can You Do? 

Please, please, please:

1. Fill out this form to make your voice heard about the “Rescission of Conservation and Landscape Health Rule” proposed by BLM. Tell them not to go through with it. 

2. Vote. Vote for land conservation, for pubic spaces!

3. Find alternative places to visit! Tons of state and county parks are fully funded right now! And, if you are planning on visiting, please be patient. Clean up after yourself. Practice extreme safety. And please, please, please, respect the land. Leave everything as you see it. Do not let the history of park vandalism repeat itself. If you are in the park and see anything disturbing, speak up. Be like the Lorax! Speak for the trees!

4. For more information about hiking during the federal shutdown, check out this article from Washington Trails Association. 

5. Pick up trash on the trail. It's so simple! Even if it's not yours, it's okay! You can still help our planet!

Hike a county or state park trail!

Okay! There you have it, my updated ramblings on the National Park System and Public Lands Dilemma. If you have any other suggestions for readers, please comment below! Let's collaborate, share ideas, and stand up for what we believe in together! Thanks, as always, for reading! Stay tuned for more!