Restore Full Staffing & Fair Wages for National Park Employees

I am writing to urge immediate congressional action to address the staffing crisis threatening our National Parks. For example, federal employees at Yosemite National Park will see devastating wage cuts starting January 1, 2026 that drops the locality pay adjustment from 46% to just 17% over base rate that doesn’t reflect the cost of living near the Yosemite. Seasonal wage-grade workers including janitors, trail workers, electricians, painters, and mechanics will be hit hardest. Maintenance mechanics could see their hourly rate fall by nearly $4 per hour. These cuts will affect new hires and existing employees who change roles or receive promotions. These reductions, which come at a time when park rangers already face severe strain from budget cuts and layoffs. The February executive order limiting hiring to one employee for every four that depart has intensified pressure on seasonal staff who must now shoulder increased workloads. These workers already endured working without pay during the longest government shutdown. The Park Service cannot maintain facilities and ensure visitor safety under these conditions. These wage cuts come alongside dubiously legal changes to the performance review system that imposes quotas limiting high performance ratings, with only approximately 30% of employees allowed to receive top scores. Our National Parks welcomed hundreds of millions of visitors last year. These guests depend on dedicated employees to maintain trails, repair infrastructure, ensure clean facilities, and respond to emergencies. Artificially-lowering performance reviews and cutting wages for the people who do this essential work is both unfair and dangerous. I urge you to take specific action: restore full staffing levels by reversing the hiring restrictions, provide funding to hire full-time permanent employees to fill positions cut earlier this year, ensure fair compensation that reflects the actual cost of living near parks like Yosemite, remove quotas on performance reviews, and prioritize maintenance and safety budgets. Our park workers deserve performance reviews and wages that match their dedication and the critical nature of their work.