National Park Service staff down 25%

The National Park Service entered the 2026 summer season with nearly a quarter of its workforce gone since January 2025. (npca.org) The National Parks Conservation Association said the agency has lost more than 4,000 staff through pressured resignations, early retirements and hiring barriers. The group’s April 3 analysis put the decline at nearly 25% of the workforce. (npca.org 1) (npca.org 2) At the same time, the Trump administration’s 2027 budget proposal would cut park operations by $736 million, or more than 25%, according to the same analysis. NPCA said that would likely eliminate thousands more jobs across the system’s 430-plus park sites. (npca.org) The staffing squeeze lands as visitation remains historically high. The National Park Service said it recorded more than 323 million recreation visits in 2025, with 26 parks setting annual attendance records. (nps.gov) Active NorCal pointed to Yosemite as one example of what visitors are already seeing. The outlet reported spring-break entrance lines of about two hours and noted Yosemite’s timed-entry reservation system was recently eliminated for peak months. (activenorcal.com) Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told House appropriators on April 20 that the department has “no plans for RIFs,” meaning reductions in force, after earlier layoff planning. He said Interior had just completed another buyout round and that his priority is filling public-facing jobs. (federalnewsnetwork.com) Congress has already pushed back once. Federal News Network reported that the fiscal 2026 spending package rejected the administration’s earlier National Park Service cuts and required Interior to maintain adequate staffing levels and give advance notice of major reorganizations. (federalnewsnetwork.com) The administration has also said it is trying to add seasonal coverage. Active NorCal reported Burgum told senators the agency plans to hire 5,500 seasonal workers and seek nine-month terms instead of six-month appointments. (activenorcal.com) Critics say seasonal hiring does not replace permanent losses in trail crews, maintenance, science and emergency response. NPCA said a December memo still limited Interior to hiring no more than one employee for every four who leave, with exceptions for public-safety roles. (npca.org) That leaves parks heading into another high-demand summer with fewer year-round employees than they had 16 months ago, even after Congress ordered staffing guardrails. (federalnewsnetwork.com) (nps.gov)