1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I am extremely concerned about the elimination of 1,000 rangers and staff from the National Park Service and 3,600 employees from the U.S. Forest Service that occurred on February 14, 2025. I am particularly concerned about the legality of these eliminations, as all federal employees fired received the same, form-based email that claims that these employees “failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment.” Upon hearing testimony from many rangers shared in the media and online, this allegation seems to be clearly not the case. Many of the employees affected have stated that they were immediately locked out of their emails and accounts, and thus unable to save their employment records in order to prove these claims as false. At best, this is a cruel way of carrying out a political agenda. At worst, this is an illegal removal of nonpolitical federal employees. Not only is the removal of these federal workers personally devastating, it is a detriment to our entire nation. The national parks are often called “America’s Best Idea,” and for good reason. In 2023, 325 million Americans visited our national parks. While some of them may have been repeat visitors, like myself, that means that almost every American found themselves in the public lands protected by an agency that only spends 1/15th of 1% of our national budget. In addition, recreation in NPS units generated more than $55 billion in 2023, most of which impacts small, rural communities. What “efficiency” is gained by cutting from the federal agency that almost every citizen supports? The removal of these positions isn’t just detrimental to the ability for the American public to enjoy our public lands—it also makes them unsafe. National Park employees man Search and Rescue teams, keep parks sanitary, and educate the public on the risks involved with outdoor recreation. With more than a dozen deaths in Grand Canyon National Park alone in summer 2024, and more throughout the park system, I don’t think it’s an understatement to say that people will die without these critical staff. With all of this in mind, I urge you to do four things: Demand the return of all NPS and USFS staff that were removed on February 14, 2025. Pass legislation that properly funds the massive maintenance backlog and allows for increased hiring in our land management agencies. Support the bipartisan Public Lands in Public Hands legislation introduced by Rep. Zinke (R-MT) and Rep Vasquez (D-NM). Oppose any attempts made by President Donald Trump to reduce national monuments similar to reduction made to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in 2017. These lands belong to the American people. It is the overwhelming will of the people to see them protected.