1,000 park workers who were fired in DOGE cuts are reinstated
The nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Assn. said in a news release Thursday that as a result of recent court orders, "the National Park Service is authorized to fully reinstate 1,000 previously terminated probationary employees at national parks across the country." Fired workers included rangers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and other critical personnel, the group said.
Read more: National park layoffs assailed by off-duty rangers and community members in SoCal protests
"The American people love our national parks and want them protected for future generations," Theresa Pierno, the group's president and chief executive, said in a statement. "It's time the administration listened. We won't stop fighting until these attacks on our national parks come to an end."
Workers contacted Thursday by The Times declined to speak on the record, fearing it would jeopardize their reinstatements.
On Feb. 14, about 1,000 National Park Service permanent workers who hadn't finished their probationary period were fired as part of a waste-cutting effort led by Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk's White House advisory team, which he calls the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
The decision was the second park-related cut by the Trump administration that was met with widespread opposition spanning the political spectrum. In January, thousands of seasonal park workers were told they wouldn't be hired this season. Public outcry in defense of national parks broke out in the form or protests and social media posts, and the Trump administration walked back the effort about a month later.
On March 1, thousands of people — including hundreds at local fixtures like Joshua Tree National Park, the Channel Islands Ventura office and the Santa Monica Mountains — rallied at parks to show their support for fired permanent park workers. Another nationwide "Protect the Parks" rally is planned for Saturday with events scheduled in Calabasas and Ventura.
Fired workers included about eight staffers at Santa Monica Mountains near L.A. and six at Channel Islands. At the Santa Monica Mountains, fired workers included an emergency response worker and a park ranger trained in land management.
Read more: Amid staff cuts and budget chaos, more than 700 national park employees take buyout
Two archaeologists tasked with surveying land at the Santa Monica Mountains were also fired. Katie Preston, one of the archaeologists fired, told The Times at the March rally that it was unclear how the $400,000 allocated for them to survey the park for cultural resources would be spent without any staff left to do the job. Only 30% of the Santa Monica Mountains have been surveyed, meaning potential historical landmarks and sacred Indigenous sites remain unknown and unprotected.
At Channel Islands, marine scientist Kenan Chan, who surveyed the park's kelp forests and tide pools, was fired. Channel Islands National Park has collected data through its full-time staff and seasonal workers on its kelp forests and tide pools since 1982. His firing meant only two full-time workers were left to conduct the research.
Chan said Thursday on Instagram after a "month full of uncertainty, stress, sadness and frustration" he was grateful to be headed back to work. Chan thanked everyone who had rallied to support the fired workers.
Read more: National park visits hit record high last year, agency reports as it endures deep cuts
"I still have not received any official documents confirming I am once again an employee, but I am hopeful," Chan said. "We are back. We did it."
Park ranger Lydia Jones, who was fired from Badlands National Park in South Dakota, said Thursday on Instagram that she was thrilled to share that she had been reinstated but was still concerned by the possibility of future cuts.
Read more: What park workers firings mean for L.A.'s natural wonders
"With plans for wide-scale reductions in force throughout federal government, there is still the possibility that my position could be cut again," Jones said. "However, one thing is certain: I will continue to do my job to the absolute best of my ability, as long as I am able, in service to the American people."
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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