NewsFinale
  • Home
  • News
  • Local News
  • Business
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Celeb Lifestyle
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Advertise Here
Gleammour AquaFresh
NewsFinale
  • Home
  • News
  • Local News
  • Business
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Celeb Lifestyle
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Advertise Here
Home Local News Interior Secretary mandates open access to national parks despite reduced workforce

Interior Secretary mandates open access to national parks despite reduced workforce

Interior secretary orders national parks to be open and accessible as workforce is cut
Up next
Divided Supreme Court sides with Trump to block teacher grants
Split Supreme Court Supports Trump in Preventing Teacher Grants
Published on 04 April 2025
Author
NewsFinale Journal
Share and Follow
FacebookXRedditPinterestWhatsApp


Under criticism for staff cuts across the country, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is directing national parks to “remain open and accessible” and says officials will ensure proper staffing to do so.

The order, issued late Thursday, also calls for a detailed review of each park’s operating hours, trail closures and other limits on visitor services.

Burgum said in the order that his department and the National Park Service “are committed to ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to visit and enjoy our Nation’s most treasured places.”

But park advocates and others criticized the move and questioned how park employees could comply, given the Trump administration’s workforce reductions through voluntary separation offers, layoffs and an earlier hiring freeze. Fewer workers can mean shorter hours, delays, closed campgrounds, overflowing trash bins, unkept bathrooms, and risks to public safety, they say.

The park service has lost somewhere near 1,500 permanent employees since the beginning of this year, Rick Mossman, president of the Arizona-based Association of National Park Rangers, said Friday in a statement. And it’s “bracing for another reduction in force expected in the very near future.”

The administration initially restored about 50 national park positions and hired some seasonal workers following an uproar over an aggressive plan to downsize the agency. More workers were offered their jobs back last month after a judge’s order, but some decided to leave federal employment or were immediately placed on administrative leave.

Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, praised the order and said it will ensure parks fulfill their mission.

“As we head into the summer months, millions of Americans and visitors from around the world will be enjoying our beautiful national parks,” he said in a statement.

But Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities, said mandating parks to remain operational without needed personnel and resources is an impossible task.

“This secretarial order is a hollow and cynical attempt to save face amid the outrage from the public about the harm the Trump administration is inflicting to not only national parks, but the communities across the country that depend on them for economic survival,” Rokala said in a statement.

Burgum’s order says assistant secretaries will review the operating hours for each park and a full report must be sent to him within 15 days.

Rokala said that plan would remove park superintendents and the public from any future decisions regarding park management.

“If past is prologue, the public will be left completely in the dark about all the decisions,” Rokala said.

The order noted that national parks welcomed more than 331 million visitors last year. The sites were run by more than 20,000 employees and 300,000 volunteers, he said.

___

Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report from Washington.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Share and Follow
FacebookXRedditPinterestWhatsApp
You May Also Like
Behind the photo: How a woman running from US bombs in Venezuela captured the night's fear and chaos
  • Local News

Unveiling the Story Behind the Photo: A Woman’s Flight from US Bombs in Venezuela Reflects the Night’s Fear and Chaos

CARACAS – As the tranquil night in Venezuela’s capital was shattered by…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 7, 2026
‘The only warning you’re getting:’ Brevard sheriff promises major traffic crackdown
  • Local News

Brevard Sheriff Announces Major Traffic Enforcement Initiative: Last Warning Issued

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – On Tuesday, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey issued…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 6, 2026
Asian shares and US futures advance, as Tokyo's Nikkei 225 hits a record high
  • Local News

Asian Markets Surge with Record High in Tokyo’s Nikkei 225; US Futures Also Climb

BANGKOK – Asian stock markets soared on Tuesday, with Tokyo’s main index…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 6, 2026
Rubio, Hegseth brief congressional leaders as questions mount over next steps in Venezuela
  • Local News

Rubio and Hegseth Lead Critical Briefing on Future U.S. Strategy in Venezuela Amid Rising Congressional Concerns

WASHINGTON – In a significant briefing late Monday, Secretary of State Marco…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 6, 2026
A rare 'thank you' to the media from the Trump administration
  • Local News

Trump Administration’s Unexpected Praise: A Rare ‘Thank You’ to the Media

Following last weekend’s U.S. military operation in Venezuela, the Trump administration did…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 6, 2026
Trump tells Republicans to be 'flexible' on abortion restrictions to get a health care deal
  • Local News

Trump Urges GOP Flexibility on Abortion Restrictions to Secure Health Care Deal

President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Republicans to consider compromising on a…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 6, 2026
Swiss bar where fatal New Year's fire broke out had last safety inspection in 2019
  • Local News

Swiss Bar Involved in Fatal New Year’s Fire Last Inspected for Safety Compliance in 2019

GENEVA – A tragic fire at a New Year’s celebration in a…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 6, 2026
VIDEO: Man arrested for armed robbery in Marion County days after being released from jail, deputies say
  • Local News

Shocking: Recently Freed Man Re-arrested for Armed Robbery in Marion County – Watch the Unbelievable Footage!

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – Just days after being released from jail, a…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 6, 2026
DOJ: Shooter who killed Brown students and MIT professor planned attack for months, left behind video confessions
  • US

DOJ Reveals Months-Long Planning Behind Shooting of Brown Students and MIT Professor, Video Confessions Found

Videos have surfaced in which Neves Valente admits to orchestrating the Brown…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 7, 2026
Behind the photo: How a woman running from US bombs in Venezuela captured the night's fear and chaos
  • Local News

Unveiling the Story Behind the Photo: A Woman’s Flight from US Bombs in Venezuela Reflects the Night’s Fear and Chaos

CARACAS – As the tranquil night in Venezuela’s capital was shattered by…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 7, 2026
'I will f—ing kill you': Jeep driver with bag of 'cremated human remains' in his car threatened couple who passed him at a stop sign, police say
  • Crime

Jeep Driver Allegedly Threatens Couple with Violent Remarks Over Traffic Dispute, Police Report; Cremated Remains Found in Vehicle

Background:The Hancock County Jail in Greenfield, Indiana (Google Maps). Inset: Jay…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 7, 2026
TODD TUCKER AND KANDI BURRUSS REUNITE TO CELEBRATE SON ACE’S 10TH BIRTHDAY
  • Entertainment

Reality TV Stars Todd Tucker and Kandi Burruss Celebrate Son Ace’s Milestone 10th Birthday with Heartwarming Reunion

Over the weekend, Todd Tucker and Kandi Burruss gathered to commemorate a…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 7, 2026
NewsFinale Journal
  • Home
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Advertise Here
  • Donate