Yosemite National Park in California is currently experiencing a wave of confusion and concern among its employees. Reports have emerged of sudden job terminations, leaving many park workers stunned and worried about their future.
"I just got an email saying that I was terminated all of a sudden, and that's what happened to a bunch of people this week. It was pretty shocking. We didn't see it coming at all," recounted an anonymous employee to Action News.
This unexpected reality has affected numerous permanent and seasonal employees at Yosemite National Park, who recently learned that their job offers were rescinded or that their positions are no longer available.
One employee explained, "I had been working in Yosemite National Park seasonally since 2019, and I was working for Aramark, the concessionaire. I finally made the jump over last year to the National Park Service and it just felt like, I finally felt fulfilled doing. I felt happy to go to work, excited to be a part of the park system and it's just kind of unfortunate in this situation."
The Trump administration has made a significant move by terminating about 1,000 newly hired National Park Service employees. These roles included cleaning, maintaining parks, and educating visitors. This decision is part of the President's promise to cut costs and analyze government efficiency.
Ken Yager, a resident of Mariposa County for nearly 50 years, expressed his worries about the long-term impact of the eliminated jobs. "These people don't have anywhere to live right now, they have no income. Some of these people, it's questionable if they are even going to get unemployment to hold them over until they can find another job and find housing," said Yager, who is the President of the Yosemite Climbing Association.
There are also growing concerns about the potential environmental impact due to the lack of staffing to handle millions of tourists visiting Yosemite each year. Beth Pratt, Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation, voiced her fears, "I'm befuddled, but I'm also really angry because once a bear dies because we don't have enough people to manage the trash. Once a bear is hit by a car because of overcrowding."
Pratt emphasized that protecting the sights and sounds of natural wonders like Yosemite should be a bipartisan issue. "Why are we messing with one thing that most of us agree on in a time when we agree on little, that our parks are special and should not be put at risk," said Pratt.
ABC News has reached out to the Department of Interior and the National Park Service for comments on this issue but has not yet received a response.
