1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

The proposed layoffs of thousands of US Forest Service and National Park Service employees will have devastating consequences for our national parks and forests. These public lands are national treasures that require proper staffing and resources to maintain and protect them for future generations. Firing a significant portion of the workforces overseeing parks and forests will inevitably lead to overflowing trash, uncleaned bathrooms, fewer firefighters to combat wildfires, and a lack of rangers to guide and assist visitors. This undermines the very purpose of these public lands and the ability of Americans to fully experience and appreciate these natural wonders. The national parks already struggle with underfunding and understaffing despite record-breaking visitor numbers each year. Further cutting park budgets and personnel will only compound these issues, degrading the park experience and jeopardizing environmental protection efforts. Similarly, reducing forestry staff hampers critical wildfire prevention and mitigation work, putting communities at increased risk. I urge you to reconsider these short-sighted layoffs that will cripple the management of America's parks and forests. These crown jewels of our public lands system deserve full funding and staffing to properly steward them for this and future generations. Prioritize protecting our national parks and forests over arbitrary budget cuts that will have severe detrimental impacts.