National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions

Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

1 minute read

February 18, 2025, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Close-up of park ranger in green jacket and khaki hat looking out at Bryce Canyon National Park red rock formations.

Westley / Adobe Stock

Massive layoffs at the National Park Service will likely have rippling negative effects on communities surrounding national parks and monuments, writes Kurt Repanshek in National Parks Traveler, noting that parks generate billions of dollars in revenue for nearby towns each year.

“Interior Department figures from last summer noted that the National Park System generated $55.6 billion for the national economy in 2023, an increase of $5.2 billion from the year before. The 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects survey found that 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks.” Repanshek adds that this supported 415,400 jobs nationwide, thousands of which are now being cut by the administration.

Phil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, says the move is “hard to understand.” According to Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, “Not having those important positions filled would be very harmful to the park itself, and then also problematic with visitor safety and other experience issues.” Many of the workers who were laid off this week performed critical jobs such as wastewater management and trail maintenance. Brengel also expressed concern about the potential privatization of park services, which could lead to poor management and profit-driven policies.

Sunday, February 16, 2025 in National Parks Traveler

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight