If there’s one thing most Americans agree on, it’s that our country’s national parks are national treasures.

And we owe their preservation and enduring beauty to the dedicated efforts of one very important government agency.

At a high level, the National Park Service works to protect 433 sites across the country: our 63 national parks, national monuments, key historical sites like battlefields, and more. Their staff consists of 16,000 permanent employees and thousands of seasonal workers.

While rangers do the important work of monitoring trails and actively working to keep hikers and campers safe, scientific specialists carry out studies, initiatives, and research to preserve critical ecosystems and support the longevity of these sites. This work can look like everything from removing invasive plants and relocating at-risk species to fighting fires and restoring grasslands.

Their efforts aren’t just focused on preservation but also on staying ahead of drastic changes in park ecosystems, building climate resilience, and educating the public on the reality of the climate crisis.

Of course, none of this matters to the people running the show right now.

On the heels of 5,000 seasonal workers having their offers rescinded in the hiring freeze, 1,000 NPS staffers were fired in DOGE’s “Valentine’s Day Massacre.”

Two judges’ rulings have since allowed these staffers to return to work, but the Trump Administration is still laying the groundwork for a 30% reduction in NPS payroll and the closure of 34 NPS offices. The cuts will target permanent staffers and are expected to include the 1,000 probationary employees who were recently rehired.

There’s no two ways about it: this would be devastating.

This is all happening on top of the federal funding freeze, which has left funds for general improvements, climate adaptation and response, and ecosystem monitoring and restoration in limbo.

In the short term, parkgoers will feel the impacts—fewer rangers, janitors, and interpreters will impact site maintenance and public safety. This move will also affect local economies in every state, which have long received strong boosts from park visitor spending.

But even more devastating are the potential long-term impacts: the loss of dedicated workers and critical institutional knowledge, the resultant harm to park ecosystems and climate resilience, and the degradation of valuable carbon sinks.

If there’s any silver lining here, it’s that these are cuts that people care about. These will impact the natural areas they love, the wildlife they appreciate, and the experiences they have come to treasure.

And that means we might just be able to do something about it.

Join us!