02.07.25

Trump-Ordered Hiring Freeze Threatens Peak Season Access to Washington’s National Parks

National Park Service revoked employment offers for seasonal staff in response to freeze; In letter to Interior Sec Burgum, Cantwell calls for immediate reissue of seasonal employment offers to ensure park campgrounds & visitor centers remain open during the busy summer season

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, joined a letter with 21 other senators calling on Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to immediately reissue seasonal employment offers for the National Park Service, including offers to seasonal employees at Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks.  These three iconic parks host over five million visitors a year with visitation levels concentrated during the summer months. Combined these three parks generate over $350 million in economic benefits to gateway communities, supporting thousands of local jobs.

“We are alarmed that the National Park Service revoked employment offers for seasonal staff for the upcoming summer season,” wrote the Senators. “Incoming seasonal staff – whose work is critical to managing the influx of visitors during the summer ‘peak season’ – had offers in their hands that were yanked away just days after the inauguration.”

“National park units experience a summer surge in visitation that peaks in July, and the Service hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees to manage that extra work.  Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable,” the Senators added.

The outdoor recreation economy contributes $22.5 billion in value added annually to the State of Washington and supports over 121,000 direct jobs.

Mount Rainier National Park typically hires about 175 seasonal employees and Olympic National Park usually doubles the number of employees during this time. Temporary positions include laborers, maintenance workers, biological technicians, visitor use assistants who handle fees at entrance station and campgrounds, and park rangers. There are also a limited number of openings for clerical staff and trades and crafts professionals. 

National Park units in Washington state regularly struggle to hire the number of employees needed to keep National Parks clean and safe. Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks have experienced permanent staff losses since 2013 while park visitation has increased. Delays in hiring seasonal employees could result in National Parks being understaffed at the busiest time of year, making it difficult to maintain park operations and keep visitors safe.

If the parks are not able to hire seasonal employees soon, it will be difficult to recruit employees later.

Sen. Cantwell is a longtime advocate for the economic and health benefits of outdoor recreation. In January, President Biden signed the EXPLORE Act, which contains several provisions to increase outdoor recreation secured by Sen. Cantwell. She is also the leading Senate supporter of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which provides grants to improve local community parks. Cantwell successfully led the fight to reauthorize the fund when authorization expired, and ultimately make LWCF funding permanent.

The full text of the letter is HERE and below.

Dear Secretary Burgum:  

We urge you to immediately reissue seasonal employment offers for the National Park Service, to rescind damaging and short-sighted deferred resignation and early retirement offers, and to instead work to safeguard, grow, and shape the National Park Service workforce to meet the needs of our national parks and their visitors.

We are alarmed that the National Park Service revoked employment offers for seasonal staff for the upcoming summer season.  Incoming seasonal staff – whose work is critical to managing the influx of visitors during the summer “peak season” – had offers in their hands that were yanked away just days after the inauguration.

National Park Service rangers carry out a wide array of functions critical to protecting natural resources, keeping visitors safe, providing for recreation, and creating an inspiring and educational experience for visitors.  National park units experience a summer surge in visitation that peaks in July, and the Service hires more than 6,000 seasonal employees to manage that extra work.  Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable. 

We are also alarmed that the administration’s offer of deferred resignation and voluntary early retirement, made without clear legal authority, as well as open threats about future terminations will lead to a damaging loss of full-time staff at the National Park Service, which is already operating well below prior staffing levels despite significant increases in visitation.  As a result of onerous budget caps during the 2010s, the National Park Service lost 15% of its staff while park visitation also increased by 15%.  If a significant number of National Park Service employees take one of the offers – or further terminations are made – park staffing will be in chaos.  Not only does this threaten the full suite of visitor services, but could close entire parks altogether. 

Gutting staffing at national park units will devastate local “gateway” communities where parks generate significant economic activity – from hotels to restaurants to stores to outfitters.  In 2023, an estimated 325 million park visitors spent an estimated $26.4 billion in local gateway regions, supporting an estimated 415,000 jobs and $55.6 billion in total economic output in the national economy.

Americans showing up to national parks this summer and for years to come don’t deserve to have their vacations ruined by a completely preventable – and completely irresponsible – staffing shortage.  And local economies don’t deserve to have their livelihoods destroyed for political gain.  We urge your cooperation in protecting national parks for the enjoyment of everyone by ensuring National Park Service staffing meets the needs of the 433 national park units in all 50 states. 

Sincerely,

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