Latest news with #staffingCuts
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
US efforts to predict weather hit by staffing cuts: ex-NOAA chief
STORY: :: A former NOAA chief says the U.S. has compromised its ability to predict the weather after deep staffing cuts :: July 5, 2025 :: Falls Church, Virginia :: Rick Spinrad, Former administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff, which means that you're really putting an extra burden on these folks. I don't know how much that was a factor in what happened in Texas this weekend." :: Kerrville, Texas "Without research, without staff to do the work, we can assume that the predictions, and not just hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, drought, wildfires, tsunamis, for that matter, are undoubtedly going to degrade. And that means that people's ability to prepare for these storms will be compromised..." ::Georgetown, Texas ::Adam Grumbo "Pick your favorite football team... now imagine that team has, instead of 11 players, has eight players. They're going to lose no matter how good they are. They can't do the job of the full team. And that's what's happening at NOAA is these are outstanding scientists, wonderful technicians, terrific policy folks, but if we don't have enough of them doing the job, then something falls off the table." The Trump administration has axed thousands of jobs from NOAA, the National Weather Service's parent agency, leaving many weather offices understaffed, according to Spinrad. He said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but said they would inevitably degrade the agency's ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts.
Washington Post
04-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Superintendent of Oregon's Crater Lake National Park resigns, citing staffing cuts
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The superintendent of Crater Lake National Park in Oregon has resigned after just months in the role, citing staffing cuts that he called unsustainable and damaging. Kevin Heatley resigned Friday from the position he had held since January, Portland TV station KGW reported . He told the outlet the decision was difficult but that policies undertaken by the Trump administration had impacted the ability of the National Park Service to function. 'I did not want to be empowering the current administration to cause that kind of impact on the people that I'm responsible for,' Heatley said. 'And I also did not want to participate in the dismantlement — effectively a dismantlement — of the National Park Service.' 'We're being told, for instance, when people leave, they only want to replace 25% of those permanent positions,' he said. 'You can't run an organization like that.' A message seeking comment was sent Wednesday to the agency's communications office. Heatley said a seasonal increase in staffing of about 60 to 65 workers to help with summer crowds isn't sufficient to preserve park infrastructure or sustain its longterm needs. A number of the park's eight ranger positions — full-time positions tasked with maintaining park roads, buildings and trails — are unfilled, he said. Heatley's previous experience includes planning and management roles with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. He said he felt conflicted staying in a role where he saw the system as being undermined. Crater Lake National Park is home to the deepest lake in the U.S. and the deepest lake in the world formed by volcanic activity.
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Superintendent of Oregon's Crater Lake National Park resigns, citing staffing cuts
The superintendent of Crater Lake National Park in Oregon has resigned after just months in the role, citing staffing cuts that he called unsustainable and damaging. Kevin Heatley resigned Friday from the position he had held since January, Portland TV station KGW reported. He told the outlet the decision was difficult but that policies undertaken by the Trump administration had impacted the ability of the National Park Service to function. 'I did not want to be empowering the current administration to cause that kind of impact on the people that I'm responsible for,' Heatley said. 'And I also did not want to participate in the dismantlement — effectively a dismantlement — of the National Park Service.' 'We're being told, for instance, when people leave, they only want to replace 25% of those permanent positions,' he said. 'You can't run an organization like that.' A message seeking comment was sent Wednesday to the agency's communications office. Heatley said a seasonal increase in staffing of about 60 to 65 workers to help with summer crowds isn't sufficient to preserve park infrastructure or sustain its longterm needs. A number of the park's eight ranger positions — full-time positions tasked with maintaining park roads, buildings and trails — are unfilled, he said. Heatley's previous experience includes planning and management roles with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. He said he felt conflicted staying in a role where he saw the system as being undermined. Crater Lake National Park is home to the deepest lake in the U.S. and the deepest lake in the world formed by volcanic activity.
Associated Press
04-06-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Superintendent of Oregon's Crater Lake National Park resigns, citing staffing cuts
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — The superintendent of Crater Lake National Park in Oregon has resigned after just months in the role, citing staffing cuts that he called unsustainable and damaging. Kevin Heatley resigned Friday from the position he had held since January, Portland TV station KGW reported. He told the outlet the decision was difficult but that policies undertaken by the Trump administration had impacted the ability of the National Park Service to function. 'I did not want to be empowering the current administration to cause that kind of impact on the people that I'm responsible for,' Heatley said. 'And I also did not want to participate in the dismantlement — effectively a dismantlement — of the National Park Service.' 'We're being told, for instance, when people leave, they only want to replace 25% of those permanent positions,' he said. 'You can't run an organization like that.' A message seeking comment was sent Wednesday to the agency's communications office. Heatley said a seasonal increase in staffing of about 60 to 65 workers to help with summer crowds isn't sufficient to preserve park infrastructure or sustain its longterm needs. A number of the park's eight ranger positions — full-time positions tasked with maintaining park roads, buildings and trails — are unfilled, he said. Heatley's previous experience includes planning and management roles with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. He said he felt conflicted staying in a role where he saw the system as being undermined. Crater Lake National Park is home to the deepest lake in the U.S. and the deepest lake in the world formed by volcanic activity.
Washington Post
27-05-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
At Veterans Affairs, plan for sweeping cuts tanks morale
Morale is plummeting inside the Department of Veterans Affairs as tens of thousands of employees prepare for deep staffing cuts, raising alarms among employees, veterans and advocates who fear the reductions would severely damage care and benefits for millions of the nation's former service members. VA Secretary Douglas A. Collins has signaled plans to shrink the agency's workforce by 15 percent — or about 83,000 employees. Although agency officials insist front-line health-care workers and claims processors will be spared, the vague and shifting details of the Trump administration's downsizing plan have only fueled anxiety and speculation within VA's massive workforce.
