**Due to the sensitive nature of current layoffs, names with an * have been changed to protect anonymity.
At the beginning of February, President Trump’s administration decided to immediately begin shrinking the federal workforce. To accommodate this agenda, the National Park Service—who educates, protects, and takes care of both the parks and those who visit them—is one of the most targeted of these federal agencies; though, all are cutting numbers.
Former Deputy Chief Ranger and current Management Specialist John Taylor* has been in the NPS for over 25 years, bouncing from Joshua Tree,Yosemite, Denali, Zion, Grand Canyon as well as several other National Parks.
He has worked as a firefighter, a law-enforcement ranger, a search-and-rescue coordinator, an aviation manager for helicopter operations, and now a management specialist.
He said that his reasoning for such a long career in the NPS amounts to one principle.
“I believe deeply in the value of public service… There are people who feel compelled to do public service and people who do not. If you feel the compulsion to help others in service of your community and country, you should do it.”
Taylor has confronted daunting moments in these various roles: “daring rescues, lives saved from certain death, and many times risking our lives, either rescuing somebody or arresting somebody,” he said.
He continued by saying that being in these positions, which required technical skills and training, required a sense of great urgency and focus, knowing that his services were saving a life or helping a fellow American.
“The best way to describe it is that when we were in those moments – we were focused on our competence.”
He lists some of the most crucial questions running through his head in these moments of grave importance.
“Am I sure I am giving the right dose of epinephrine in this IV? Am I ready to pull the trigger if he brings a gun out of his waistband? Am I sure I am hiring the right ranger for this job?”
But when asked what his most proud moment in the NPS has been, he said it comes down to the dedicated men and women he has hired and worked with.
If there is one thing that he is most proud of, it is the rangers he’s hired over the years. “I can think of many rangers I had the honor to hire, train, and bring along in the service who have done spectacular work. I take pleasure in knowing they are out there doing well.”
But those looking to be a ranger, including many recently hired, are now stripped of this opportunity.
An estimated 5,000 employees working in U.S public lands have lost their jobs since February 14th, and about 1,000 of these are NPS rangers, according to Outside Magazine.
Additionally, these employees have not been given sufficient time to find new employment upon receiving their notice, or even been given any resources to do so.
According to Taylor, it has been left to the immediate supervisors to personally help desperate colleagues and friends, without any guidance from the higher agency and not being quite aware of the constraints themselves.
“The agency has provided nothing as far as I know. Personally, I am in constant contact with an employee who I had to let go on the 14th. I have made countless calls on his behalf.” He finished by saying that he continues to “mentor, advise, support, and buy the occasional beer for the fellow let go,” though it is still painful for both supervisor and employee.
This uncertainty is likely to persist. But what lies ahead? Will job losses continue? Will national parks be able to endure given the loss of staff protecting them?
“I can tell you that we lost employees in key positions that are absolutely necessary for planning and implementing improvements and repairs to park infrastructure. We still don’t know the fate of the funding which we were counting on for those improvements and repairs.”
He ends by saying that “the bottom line is, at this moment, everything is uncertain.”
But in totality, he has never witnessed such a direct insult from leadership towards government agencies who serve the American people.
“There will always be disagreements about policies, priorities, and the relative value of the government’s role in America. There has never been such disrespect for the basic value of public service than there is now.”
