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
Neighbor arrested after man shot in driveway: sheriff
  • Local News

Local Resident Arrested Following Driveway Shooting Incident, Confirms Sheriff

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (WFLA) — A shooting incident in St. Lucie County…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 25, 2026
Private jet with 8 aboard crashes on takeoff in Maine
  • Local News

Private Jet Carrying Eight Passengers Crashes During Takeoff in Maine

A private plane carrying eight passengers met a tragic fate as it…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026
Mark Tully, BBC correspondent known as the 'voice of India,' dies at 90
  • Local News

Legendary BBC Correspondent Mark Tully, Renowned as the ‘Voice of India,’ Passes Away at 90

Mark Tully, often revered as the “voice of India,” has passed away…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026
3 injured in Marion County shooting, deputies say
  • Local News

Three People Hurt in Marion County Shooting Incident, Authorities Report

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A shooting incident on Sunday afternoon in Marion…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026
Texas teen killed, another critically injured in sled-towing accident
  • Local News

Tragic Texas Sled-Towing Accident: Teen Killed, Another in Critical Condition

A tragic sledding accident in North Texas has claimed the life of…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026
Freezing husky found under bridge dies, two people arrested
  • Local News

Tragic Tale of Rescued Husky: Dog Dies After Chilling Bridge Rescue Leads to Arrests

Erie, Pa (WJET/WFXP) — The ANNA Shelter shared heartbreaking news with the…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 25, 2026
Storm Team 3: Colder than average temperatures return
  • Local News

Prepare for a Chilly Week: StormTeam 3 Predicts Clearing Skies and Cold Sunshine Ahead

SAVANNAH, Ga – Good morning! This is Stormteam 3 Meteorologist Alysa Carsley,…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026
Storm causes most flight cancellations since pandemic, hits Savannah
  • Local News

Severe Storm Triggers Record-Breaking Flight Cancellations in Savannah: Largest Disruption Since Pandemic

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Savannah may not be blanketed in snow or grappling…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026
Leeds woman arrested after interfering with arrest of undocumented immigrant
  • US

Leeds Resident Detained for Disrupting Immigration Arrest

LEEDS, Ala. (TRIBUNE) — A routine traffic stop in Leeds took an…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026
'A sniper with a terminal illness can't be a big ask': Woman recruited people to 'pursue and assassinate President Trump,' sheriff says
  • Crime

Terminally Ill Woman Accused of Plotting to Recruit Sniper Against President Trump, Authorities Reveal

Main: President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the Oval Office at…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026
Unless Celtic bring in three or four new signings, Martin O'Neill will do well to secure a second-placed finish let alone first... they have ONE week to save their season!
  • Sport

Celtic Faces Crucial Week: O’Neill Eyes Key Signings to Bolster Team’s Title Hopes

A typically lively afternoon at Tynecastle concluded on a lighter note than…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026

Alex Honnold Discloses Modest Compensation from Netflix for Thrilling Stunt

Alex Honnold’s awe-inspiring achievement of free climbing the 101-story Taipei…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • January 26, 2026
NewsFinale Journal
  • Home
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Advertise Here
  • Donate