Defend Our National Parks
April 2, 2025: Democratic senators have introduced two bills, the Save Our Forests Act of 2025 and the Protect Our Parks Act of 2025, which jointly aim to restore National Park Service staffing levels and ensure ongoing support for forest protection projects.
On February 14, the Trump administration succeeded in firing several thousand National Park Service (NPS) and US Forest Service (NFS) workers under the guise of “cutting costs”, representing 5% and 10% of those workforces, respectively. Earlier this month, the national park system had warned that staffing levels were already insufficient to support increasing park usage, so this firing will leave our national parks and forests even more understaffed and vulnerable as they enter their high seasons.
We are already seeing dramatic impacts. For example, over the weekend Yosemite has delayed opening up summer camping reservations and Grand Canyon’s south entrance was heavily delayed due to staffing losses. Over 100 million visitors are expected during the summer season alone, and the impact of losing critical staff will not only be inconvenient but potentially dangerous to the visitors who enjoy these public lands.
Contacts for this topic:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to push for oversight hearings on the Trump administration’s efforts to devastate our national parks and public lands. These parks and public lands were already understaffed, and firings of park workers are dangerous to both the parks and those who enjoy them. It’s inappropriate for the Trump administration to take these dramatic and dangerous actions without any oversight.
IF CALLING SENATE: I also urge [REP/SEN NAME] to support the Save Our Forests and Protect Our Parks Acts of 2025 to restore National Park Service staffing levels and maintain critical forest protection projects.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.
