No one wants to be laid off, especially amidst such an already tumultuous year. Skyrocketing gas and grocery prices combined with the lack of quality of life makes it difficult enough to live. However, the Trump administration had other plans. For the past few weeks, federal workers have been steadily laid off, apparently due to cutbacks. Most who were fired seem to have no idea why they were cut. One of these groups of workers who were given the unnecessary boot, national park rangers, might be one of the biggest losses we’ve ever faced.
When you picture a park ranger, most probably assume something similar to Smokey Bear. Making sure you don’t litter around the park and accidentally cause a catastrophe. But in reality, rangers do so much more than that and firing them only takes away from the skin and bones the country is slowly becoming.
Park rangers play an extremely important role in protecting and preserving national environments. They ensure that the parks remain safe and easily accessible for everyone, including future generations. They do this by monitoring environmental factors that could pose a risk to visitors or other wildlife, educating visitors on these dangers or about the park, maintaining the ecosystem, and supporting laws that protect sacred lands. Rangers strive to keep the balance between nature and humans equal. Furthermore, they act as first responders in case of emergency. They are passionately dedicated to the parks they serve. So, it’s difficult to comprehend why such crucial figures to environmental sustainability are simply cut out of the equation.
USA Today states that the cuts were a part of Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government. A statement from a White House fact sheet says that “The government wastes billions of dollars each year on duplicative programs and frivolous expenditures that fail to align with American values or address the needs of the American people.” However, most American citizens fail to agree with that. According to a Pew research study, national parks were favored the most out of all government agencies for U.S. adults. So if the public appreciates the parks, why is the government attempting to make them inaccessible due to lack of workers?
Some say that the unfortunate situation is due to untimely cuts, however others believe it goes far deeper than that, even going as far to say it was done with clear intent. They agree that the government is issuing a first wave of layoffs in order to downsize the federal government. However, they conspire that the reason is because the less people involved, the less they need to control. By firing a significant number of workers who don’t necessarily roll over for the government, the federal administration is able to do what they please without push backs.
Regardless of the true reason for the layoffs, one thing is clear; national park rangers don’t fall under the “unnecessary” umbrella and certainly shouldn’t be cut. They spend their time assisting thousands of people everyday and in turn they get fired. Go figure.
