DOGE cuts miss Yellowstone as national parks open for spring

Yahoo

24-04-2025

(NewsNation) — Staff at Yellowstone National Park have lucked out thus far despite the Trump administration's attempts to slash the workforce at America's national parks.
About a week into the DOGE, or Department of Government Efficiency, takeover of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Yellowstone's staffing remains 'higher than last year,' a department spokesperson told Wyofile on Monday. The 2.2-million-acre park in northwestern Wyoming has seen a nearly 3% increase over the 2024 season.
'Going into this year, we should have a total of 769 NPS employees,' park spokeswoman Linda Veress confirmed.
That is up from 748 permanent and seasonal workers last year, Wyofile reported. In 2021, the park's record year for visitors, that number totaled 693.
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The numbers remain steady despite mass layoffs at the National Park Service in February. According to USA Today, about 1,000 park employees were cut in what critics have called the 'Valentine's Day massacre.' Another approximately 400 employees took federal buyouts.
Some jobs were reinstated following heavy criticism of the move. At the time, the park service pledged to hire more than 7,000 seasonal workers.
The layoffs took place as the park service's approximately 20,000 permanent, temporary and seasonal employees prepared for the parks' busy season.
National Park Service restores some jobs of fired employees, pledges to hire 7,700 seasonal workers
Yellowstone welcomed its first visitors of the season on Friday. Park Superintendent Cam Sholly told Wyofile that crews are working to clear snow from the remainder of the park's roads and that the ongoing opening of the park is on schedule.
The park's opening weekend saw an 11% increase in visitors over last year, Sholly said. More than 8,300 vehicles entered through the two entrances opened thus far, putting the unofficial total of visitors at 21,642.
'We had an outstanding opening weekend, and it was great to see everyone enjoying the park,' Sholly said.
National parks cutting hours, services amid federal layoffs
The country's national parks could potentially see more layoffs as DOGE aims to shrink the federal workforce. Conservationists have become increasingly alarmed as Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last week relinquished those tasks to an assistant secretary, Tyler Hassen.
Earlier this year, Burgum appointed Hassen as assistant secretary for policy, management, and budget. In a recent Fox News appearance, however, Hassen was identified as a DOGE staffer working at the Interior Department, according to The Hill.
Burgum gave the former oilfield executive authority to take 'all necessary actions' to consolidate, unify and optimize the department and its bureaus. That includes funding decisions, and Hassen is tasked with overseeing the 'transfer of funds, programs, records, and property, as well as taking required personnel actions.'
The Washington Post reported Thursday that Trump officials are also contemplating removing federal protections from some national monuments in the western U.S., with a goal of using public lands to increase domestic energy development.
Two sources with knowledge of the talks told the Post that six national monuments spread throughout Arizona, California, New Mexico and Utah could be involved. Those sites include Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon, Ironwood Forest, Chuckwalla, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.
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