Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Park staffing in crisis as summer begins
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Tuesday, June 3, 2025
The NPS arrowhead on a park ranger's uniform is in full-focus with a sunset and Joshua tree out-of-focus in the background.
A park ranger in Joshua Tree National Park. NPS Photo ([link removed]) by Emily Hassell.
Park advocates are taking Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ([link removed]) to task for misleading Congress about the staffing crisis unfolding in the National Park Service on his watch. Burgum testified that NPS would hire more than 5,000 rangers for the busy summer tourist season, but so far, only 3,300 seasonal and temporary staff are working at the Park Service, according to Interior's own database ([link removed]) .
As of May 13, the National Parks Conservation Association reports that there were just over 18,000 employees at NPS ([link removed]) , a drop of more than 16 percent from Fiscal Year 2023. The slow hiring of seasonal staff this year is nearly 40 percent lower than in FY 2023.
One park employee told E&E News ([link removed]) that the Trump administration's chaos and job cuts have made it harder to recruit temporary employees.
“Hiring seasonals is always challenging with the low pay in NPS, but folks don’t want to work for the current regime due to even less job security,” they said.
Burgum moves to open Alaska wilderness to drilling and mining
In the midst of the staffing crisis, Burgum traveled to Alaska to announce plans to remove protections from millions of acres of sensitive lands ([link removed]) in Alaska, rescinding a Biden administration rule that sought to bring balance to the pristine area known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. In 2023, a Center for Western Priorities analysis found that nearly 90 percent of public comments supported the Biden administration's protections ([link removed]) .
Burgum was accompanied on his Alaska trip by Energy Secretary Chris Wright to promote a proposed liquefied natural gas pipeline in Alaska—a project that has stalled because of its immense price tag and a lack of customers for Alaskan LNG ([link removed]) .
** Quick hits
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White House budget would eliminate 5,500 park service jobs, renewable energy programs, core science, farm conservation
National Parks Traveler ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) [Interior] | E&E News ([link removed]) [USDA]
Opinion: Is this the beginning of the end of America's national parks?
New York Times ([link removed])
Sen. Mike Lee seeks to reinstate public land giveaway in megabill
E&E News ([link removed])
Trump administration to open millions of acres in Alaska for drilling
The Guardian ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed]) | Axios ([link removed]) | Bloomberg ([link removed])
BLM approves roundup of over 3,000 wild horses in Wyoming
KHOL ([link removed]) | WyoFile ([link removed])
Opinion: The promise to Chaco Canyon must be kept
Santa Fe New Mexican ([link removed])
Aramark disaster unfolding at Yosemite's most iconic hotel
SFGate ([link removed])
Can you eat invasive zebra mussels? Yes, but chefs don't recommend it
Cowboy State Daily ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Secretary Burgum’s narrative doesn’t match the reality unfolding in our parks. The Park Service is in a full-blown staffing crisis. Even national parks like Yosemite are struggling to provide basic visitor services with overwhelmed park staff. Thousands of essential positions remain vacant across the system, including roughly 100 superintendent roles. The agency is being stretched to the limit without the leadership or resources it needs to function.”
—Theresa Pierno ([link removed]) , National Parks Conservation Association president & CEO
** Picture This
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@mypubliclands ([link removed])
Welcome to Great Outdoors Month!
We’re lucky to help care for 245 million acres of public lands at the Bureau of Land Management!
It's time to step outside, breathe in the fresh air, and reconnect with nature. Choose your own adventure: hiking trails, paddling rivers, camping under the stars, or just enjoying a walk — this month celebrates the beauty and benefits of the outdoors. 🌎💚
Pack your sense of adventure (and maybe some bug spray), and go explore your public lands — they’re yours to enjoy and protect!
📸 Mokelumne Watershed; Jesse Pluim
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