The federal hiring freeze implemented under President Donald Trump’s new administration sent ripples through various government agencies, including the National Park Service (NPS). For many park workers, this policy change raises significant concerns about the future of staffing, park operations, and the visitor experience.
Understanding the hiring freeze
The newly elected administration recently announced a freeze on hiring federal civilian employees in order to reduce government spending. While certain positions related to public safety and national security were exempt, the hiring freeze applied broadly to most non-defense roles, including those within the NPS.
A January 20, 2025 official memorandum stated: “As part of this freeze, no Federal civilian position that is vacant at noon on January 20, 2025, may be filled, and no new position may be created except as otherwise provided for in this memorandum or other applicable law.”
On Friday, The Washington Post reported that around 400 job offers had been rescinded, while the National Parks Traveler suggested the number was closer to 1,400.
Kristen Brengel, Senior Vice President of the National Parks Conservation Association, told National Parks Traveler that seasonal hires across the country received emails notifying them that their job offers had been rescinded.
Brengel voiced “extreme concern” about the National Park Service’s ability to meet visitor needs without seasonal staff. “If these positions remain unfilled, it could create significant challenges for the parks,” she said.
The National Park Service, which usually hires approximately 7,500 seasonal employees for peak tourism periods, had not released a statement on the matter at the time of publication.
Not a first
National parks are no strangers to budgetary constraints, but this hiring freeze may exacerbate existing challenges. Seasonal workers, who play a vital role in managing park operations during peak visitor months, are particularly affected. Without adequate staffing, parks may struggle to maintain services, uphold visitor safety, and protect natural resources.
Impact on park workers
Park workers have expressed concerns about how this policy affects their ability to perform their duties effectively. Many parks already operate with limited resources, and unfilled positions mean fewer staff members to handle responsibilities like trail maintenance, visitor assistance, and educational programs.
For example, during the busy summer months, parks often hire additional rangers, maintenance staff, and visitor center employees to manage the influx of tourists. With the hiring freeze in place, many of these positions remain vacant, placing extra strain on existing staff.
Impact on park visitors
Visitors to national parks might notice the effects of reduced staffing in several ways:
- Longer wait times: Reduced staff at visitor centers could lead to delays in getting information or permits.
- Limited programming: Popular guided tours, ranger talks, and educational events may be scaled back or canceled.
- Decreased maintenance: Trails, campgrounds, and facilities might not receive the attention they need, potentially causing visitor inconvenience or facility closures.
- Increased crowding: Without adequate staff to manage parking, crowds, and entry points, some parks could experience logistical challenges.
Why it matters
National parks are not just beautiful landscapes; they are vital cultural, historical, and ecological resources. NPS staff are concerned that the hiring freeze may hinder their mission to protect these treasures for future generations. Reduced staffing impacts not only the day-to-day operations of the parks but also their long-term sustainability.
Moving forward
RVers recognize the importance of controlling national spending. While the hiring freeze presents significant challenges, there are steps that can be taken to mitigate its effects. RVers can do their part with:
- Advocacy: Support organizations like the National Parks Conservation Association, which advocate for park funding and resources.
- Volunteer: Many parks rely on volunteers to assist with projects and visitor services. It’s a wonderful way to help the NPS, meet fellow travelers, and enjoy the national parks.
- Stay informed: Follow developments related to federal policies that impact public lands and share your concerns with your elected representatives.
By staying informed and engaged, we can help ensure that America’s national parks continue to thrive despite the challenges they face.
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##RVT1193b
This is only the beginning of the problems. Food prices will soar since farmers are not going to have workers needed to tend to the fields. Tourist attractions and hotels and motels will not have the ancillary staff needed to stay open.
the sky is falling in! the sky is falling in!
Yes it us, you just don’t realize it yet
They said the same thing when slavery was abolished.
They swore nobody would be able to afford cotton, peanuts or beef if they’d have to pay a wage.
I think anyone who willfully hires illegal immigrants thus not paying payroll taxes should lose their business. If we can’t exist as a nation without exploiting other human beings, we don’t deserve to exist.
We won’t if the blind voters don’t stop voting for money grubbers. Can anyone say
“Roman Empire”?
As I understand, DEA is going after gang members, rapists, and murderers. These types of individuals usually are not employed as domestic help or farm laborers. I don’t understand why anyone would be against this.
Because of TDS?
Against it, because it’s just scare mongering. Of course Trump is already reducing information gathering so he can continue to lie to people like you who believe everything he says.
This is one of the most harrowing moments in our nations history.
Mia, I can almost guarantee you’ll be better off under this administration. You should be thankful of that. I’m a native Californian but I need to say that our President’s meeting in L.A. last week made me ashamed of those officials’ statements and comments. Jeez, he’s there to help. One guy used the opportunity to criticize other policies unrelated to the fires. Boy, some of those people were like unsupervised children.
You “need” the underpaid to work the fields and clean the buildings? Is this 1861?
I just drove all through SoCal. Interesting, not one white face slogging it in those fields, dealing with the dust and agricultural chemicals. Horrible living and working conditions . Perhaps mandatory ‘field service’ for young ‘white’ men and women when they can’t find workers. May change some tunes. The food needs to get to your plate somehow. You won’t want to pay the 25% more for it from Mexico when the tariff is in place. Or pay more for US grown food because ‘white’ folks aren’t going to work fields for those low wages (if at all). Waiting for the inflammatory comments in seconds. Because you just can’t explain repercussions to many folks.
Laura,
Your comments aren’t nice at all. I’m a white man and have worked on a farm earlier in life. It’s not nearly as bleak as you’ve stated. I ate and boarded with other farm workers including irrigators and a few pickers during growing and harvesting seasons.
So you are for slave labor or a servitude class in our society? I’m confused by your post. For or against higher wages? A preference for cheaper food on the backs of brown people?
YOUR comments are inflammatory…your anger is obvious and using “white” folks is a telltale sign of where you are getting your information and causes provocation. There is so much value in getting informed on all sides of an issue and forming your OWN opinion and not simply parroting a narrative.
And how exactly does this comment have anything to do with wasteful spending of taxpayers’ money in the Federal Government?
No matter where government spending is cut, there will be push-back. We all complain about the burgeoning national debt and want it stopped. But, don’t cut ________ (fill in your favorite government agency). These are things that need to be done, and there will be pain when “business as usual” no longer is usual.
You are quite right, Tommy. The longer one lets something happen, the more abrupt, dramatic, and painful the “solution” will feel once implemented.
Tommy, the solution is at hand. Increase taxes on the billionaires. They won’t even feel it, as they have more money than they could ever spend in a thousand lifetimes. It’s been reported that musk’s wealth increased by $140BB (plus or minus depending on the day due to market fluctuations) since the election.
Doug,
In most cases they earned it- just as the early industrialists did. I don’t know where we’d be without the vision that Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and others contributed. Musk and our President are cut from that same cloth. Have you noticed that these names are all capitalized? I’d encourage you to do a little research on Musk and see what he’s all about. The Park Service might be unintentional collateral damage and in that case I hope we can find a way to correction and fix it.
Drew, I earned my money too, but don’t get the tax benefits the rich man gets.
Trickle down theory didn’t work for Reagan either.
5×5 on that…well said.
Really…you think that’s the solution huh? Wow are you out of touch with reality!
Given that the billionaires .00003% of the population already pay more than 15% of all taxes collected, you should really be sending them a thank you card. Add in that the billionaires in America employ millions of Americans and feed millions of families, another postage stamp is needed.
Let’s not take away the incentive they have to cure cancer, build rockets, improve lives and save the planet. AI is what will cure cancer. It is innovation that will save the planet so let them innovate.
I have some mountain property in Florida that will easily interest you.
I have some moon cheese too…real cheap.
If we tax everyone the same we won’t need any cuts, but as long as the rich pay a smaller share of their taxes, have crapped social security, business claim record profits but pay no or little taxes, oil refuses to build new refineries and manipulates the price of gas/oil/heating, etc. If these were corrected we wouldn’t need to cut any programs.
Thank you, Gail! Nothing quite like a “two sizes fit all” approach. Hopefully, this is a stop-gap measure that will be revisited once more examintion of circumstances takes place. Nothing quite like information to make considered and measured decisions. Have a great weekend and safe travels!
Got to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy somehow.
Seriously? Another out of touch individual.
Very narrow view; not even close to actual facts. Tax cuts for overtaxed businesses, mostly owned by normal people with their stock shares. To make U S businesses more competitive with off-shore non-U S A cos. This actually creates jobs. (ECON 101)
Oh, everyone will get a tax cut like we got last time. Middle class like most of us get $200.00 tax cut. (That way they’ll say “we cut your taxes”) Meanwhile the 1% get $2.6 million tax cut. It’s all about the money. Money first people second. WWJD?
Yep! “It’s all about the money” being put back in the “people’s” hands 🇺🇸
As for WWJD? He would vote for the people too!
My Jesus accepts all, not just straight white people.
Smoke…smoke…smoke them torpedoes.
If we would take back the largest tax giveaway 2017, we would have plenty of money.
And they can use that money to buy the crypto that they want to stockpile.
It’s not like we weren’t warned. Elections have consequences.
Correct. Consequences that include things like PEACE, PROSPERITY, LOWER CRIME, TRANSPARENCY, FREE SPEECH, SECURE BORDERS, COMMON SENSE… just to name a few.
Yeah they sure do. Just look at California and the consequences of their elections.
KaBoooooom! Mic drop!
Native Californian here. Happy with my officials.
I love your honesty! Isn’t democracy grand!!!
You think mandatory ballot by mail is okay? That’s not a threat to democracy?
Despite what you might have heard mail balloting is very secure. Washington State has been conducting elections that way for nearly 20 years. Each election cycle we hear of a few (6 last cycle) who voted someone else’s ballot (deceased or disabled) without proper authorization. You still can vote in person at your county elections office.
Thanks, Mr. disaster. Being a resident of Washington state for more than 78 years😱, I have voted here for as long as I’ve been able. I’ve never had any qualms about voting by mail. In fact, I really appreciate it! Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Sadly this administration will be “all about the money” in every situation. Money first people last. Pay attention! WWJD?
’Yes it is! “all about the money” being put back in the “people’s” hands! 🇺🇸
Smoke another one.
maybe then we can spend money on the parks instead of illegals
I’m all for ANYTHING to get us out of our 36 TRILLION DOLLAR DEBT! If anyone thinks that kind of debt is ok, they are mindless.
Anything, huh? So you are completely ok with paying higher taxes and/or receiving fewer government services, to lower a debt that Trump drove up more than any other president, while billionaires pay less and less?
I am skeptical.
Has Trump ever visited a National Park? They don’t have golf courses, and they let poor people in too, so I doubt it.
Calm down. It’s only day 5, and the new CEO has a lot of unresponsive and bloated government expenses to get to. For example, pretty sure the National Park service doesn’t need to spend money on swag, such as the “National Parks Yahtzee” game advertised in this issue’s first page and other non-RV-camping promotional expenses. Maybe we even get an improved hi-tech campsite reservation system sometime!
National Parks Yahtzee is a “some proceeds go to the National Parks Association “. Where did you find the NPS made it, promotes it or sells it? Probably made in China.
I’d be pretty sure that the parks are offering it with the expectation of positive cash flow. Just as the “new CEO” sells all kinds of overpriced crap to his acolytes.
I can tell from the comments here that the demographics of RVTravel readers are old white guys who watch Fox “News” OAN and Newsmax. And they call anyone with an opposing view brainwashed. The irony is incredible…..
Just the idea of categorizing honest responses as those that must necessarily come from a group of people such as ‘old, or ‘white’ or ‘guys’ is telling of thought process that discriminates against groups of people. Better to discuss the issue rather than groups of people.
It would seem that Diversity doesn’t include Old White guys I guess. Nor, does inclusion include non-conforming opinions.
The Left: Not Diverse and Not Inclusive. The irony is incredible…..
I can tell by your comment, you embrace racism
”old white guys” talk about “brainwashing” 🙄
I worked for the park service in DC in 2014 and you never saw a worse bunch of lazy workers. They don’t deserve jobs.
Govt purpose is to provide services. It does this by employing people.
For the last 35 years, govts priority has been to employ people, with services being FAR behind. This is bureaucratic bloat.
Plus, how much will it cost to fill all the new additional cabinet positions? This is where the saved money will go.
How many more millionaires will he hire to back his agenda?
You’re opposed to having a cabinet that earned their own money before going into govt service? Kind if like was 200 years ago. Shutter the farm for 4 years and then reopen it after serving.
As opposed to broke people working in govt and then magically, getting wealthy on $125k/year.
Anyone here hear of the Federally run Park at Jasper Alberta that was burned out last summer, town included, because of the feds horrible incompetent forestry management?
The park management also wouldn’t allow fire fighters from other jurisdictions in to help when they arrived with equipment and men! To embarrassing for them.
Government’s don’t run anything well. Except their pension plans.
Did you know Alberta is a province in Canada and is not (yet) part of the United States?
Hi, Bill. I was thinking that, also, but then I noticed that Wayne’s email address is in Saskatchewan so I decided to just keep my mouth shut.🤣 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Guess you didn’t read his opening question. He was simply stating a similarity 🙄
Know a few people who work at a national park. Federal maintenance workers are given one task for the day. Federal rangers are leaving the park before 3pm and heading home. It’s not a question of number of workers, it’s the complete lack of their effort. Zero s***s given. To get permits – the ranger station staff tells you to use the kiosk in the same building before handing you the permit. Never seen less than 4 staff on duty, but only one register open. I doubt anyone has visited a federal park and has been impressed with the hustle of any employees.
Many parks are going to online only reservations therefore no assistance entering the parks. There was no cell reception in most of Sequoia/Kings Canyon, 40% of campsites were vacant, the rangers wouldn’t even tell you which ones were available. They would say go online to look and book. So you drive 40 minutes back to the visitor center where there’s public WiFi to discover dozens of others there trying to get on the WiFi. After 60 minutes of being kicked off, not being able to log on or our phone freezing up while on NPS site we pulled out our Starlink, started our generator and were finally able to acquire a site. + the NPS App & website indicate conflicting info.
Wow! I just read all 44 comments. What a bunch of Happy Campers are we!
For those interested, here is the actual Presidential Action.
People need to be able to understand that what is real and what is simply fearmongering. Perhaps it might be wiser to reserve praise, or conversely criticism, till reality sets in.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/hiring-freeze/
Thank you for your comments and information. There is nothing in the Presidential Action that says temporary summer workers will not be hired. It definitely is worth waiting until we see the process work thru before placing any negative or positive comments. However, I do believe it makes sense to look and be sure before we spend tax dollars that the tax dollars are spent wisely. Patience matters!
“Trump has now inherited an almost bankrupt country. The ratio of debt to annual gdp has reached a record high of nearly 125 percent—exceeding the worst years of World War II.”
Perhaps some of us don’t want to deny reality
How Much Did President Trump Add to the Debt?
“… both Ambassador Haley and Governor DeSantis are correct – President Trump added over $8 trillion to the national debt while the gross national debt rose $7.8 trillion during his term.”
https://www.crfb.org/blogs/how-much-did-president-trump-add-debt
That could be corrected by the rich paying the same tax as the common man, stopping welfare checks being written to corporations even those with massive profits, paying a living wage, having healthcare so missed days at work are as low as countries that have healthcare, eliminating the cap on social security, and reducing many more benefits corporations and the rich enjoy.
Remember Clinton left office with a balanced budget.
We currently have a caste system in the US.
The private National Parks Conservation Association advocacy group rakes in the bucks in donations so maybe they could put that money toward paying seasonal staff.
I’m a full-time RVer and visitor center volunteer for the NPS and USFWS. I enjoy interacting with all kinds of people in visitor centers and on park trails; including families and retirees exploring our beautiful country and getting out in nature. I work with the seasonal employees who make this possible. It’s not an easy job to have, and the rewards to the public are immense. They aren’t the problem here, they allow us to enjoy our public lands which is our right. If you want to help minimize government waste, check out volunteer opportunities at volunteer.gov. Thank you for your assistance and understanding.
Thank you for your comments…. very helpful.
Shame on alot of the unnessary comments being made. Its not even worth reading most of the comments anymore.
Thank you, Gail! I had to do this once. We solicited applications for a summer intern to assist with some routine work and one or two special projects. Not long after I notified the “winner” that he’d won, I had to tell him that our senior management were allocating the money to fund the position elsewhere and he no longer had a slot. I called around and begged for a slot on his behalf. Thankfully, he was really qualified and the Federal Trade Commission gave him a slot. Unfortunately those rescinding these offers haven’t the “luxury” of directing their “hires” elsewhere. Safe travels!
Biden put a hiring freeze on them in October:https://www.vox.com/climate/376321/usfs-forest-service-seasonal-hiring-freeze
That was with winter coming on, not the spring surge of visitors, and was because they didn’t have enough money in the budget. The opposite of both things this time.
The inconvenience of this is infuriating. While it’s easy to blame the current president, the anger should be directed at those whose wasteful spending along with fraud, corrution and misappropriation of funds and outright stealing are at fault. Our infrastructure has been crumbling for a very long time and now that someone is putting a stop to this out of control insanity, it’s easy to point fingers. Maybe if those funds had been used for appropriate reasons, like supporting our national treasures instead of lining the pockets of God know who or what, none of this would even be an issue. The US should look like Dubai, but instead it looks like an inner city ghetto.