Trump cuts cause safety concerns for National Parks Service, including Bunker Hill
With the Trump Administration cutting 1,000 jobs from the National Parks Service - employees the administration said were newly hired - some are raising concerns about how the cuts will impact safety, including that of Charlestown's Bunker Hill Monument.
Why do national parks need so many employees?
Don Neubaker, of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, worked for the National Parks Service for 36 years, spending 20 years as the superintendent of Yosemite National Park. He believes that this number of layoffs could have a significant impact on the parks.
He said that many parks have their own police department, ambulances and emergency response teams. Without proper staffing, he believes parks could become unsafe.
"If you don't have the right amount law enforcement staff and emergency personnel, you're not going to be able to respond to emergencies the way we've done in the past," said Neubaker. "So across the board, there's really going to be less service for the American public."
Neubaker added that park rangers do preventative work to keep bears away from public trails. He believes there could be an increased risk of bear attacks amid the firings.
The National Parks Service reported more than 325 million people visited U.S. parks in 2023. Neubaker said those attendance numbers have been on the rise, and it is taking even more employees to maintain the beauty and safety of these landmarks.
"It's just really a shame to see this happen to these very important places that protect our cultural and natural heritage," said Neubaker.
Park-goers say rangers are needed
Park-goers also appeared passionate about the issue. Carl Vassallo visited the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown with his family. They came all the way from the United Kingdom to see some of the United States' national parks. They've been pleased with their experience and are said to see resources shifting away from the parks.
"It's really nice to come to these sort of areas," said Vassallo. "They're all clean; they're tidy, the snow has been cleared here today. So, yeah, disappointing if those things don't continue."
On their trip, the family stopped by Yosemite in California and had many encounters with park rangers. Vassallo said that he hopes those jobs come back, as it would be difficult to navigate that park without them.
"It's disappointing, really," he said. "When we went to Yosemite, there were a lot rangers on hand, especially when you got high up. It was really hot, and they were helpful to point out the right direction.To get lost in that part of the world is difficult."
In addition to the 1,000 jobs cut, the Trump Administration put a hiring freeze on the National Parks Service. That hiring freeze has since been lifted, but it's left the NPS in a difficult situation.
Neubaker said the National Parks Service usually begins staffing summer positions in January and starting that process in March will make it nearly impossible to hire enough workers to keep parks safe.
