America’s National Parks have long been a refuge for citizens and wildlife alike, protecting and preserving over 85 million acres of nature since the establishment of the country’s first National Park, Yellowstone, in 1872. Under the Trump administration, many citizens are worried about the stability of these lands following the firing of roughly 1,000 National Park Service employees and 3,000 layoffs across the combined National Park and Forest Systems, according to the New York Times and USA Today.

Among the affected areas is Joshua Tree National Park, a staple of Southern California, and also where 10th graders are set to go for their upcoming Arrow Week trip March 17-21. Sabra Purdy, co-owner and co-founder of Cliffhanger Guides, a rock climbing company in Joshua Tree, said the park had already been 30 people understaffed when six probationary employees received letters informing them they were fired as the federal government enacts budget cuts. Two of those fired had moved to Joshua Tree for the job and were making roughly $24 dollars an hour, Purdy said.

“The six people that just got fired this last week were mostly in the fees collection department, so that means they’re the people that run the kiosk going into the park and collect the money for campsites and stuff like that. If [Joshua Tree staff] don’t have coverage for that, they’ll just basically have to just leave the gate open, and then that means that they won’t be collecting fees from visitors. And so the park will lose money… it’s no way to save money,” Purdy said. “Then all of those people are probably going to go on unemployment, so the federal government’s going to end up paying them anyway.”

Tenth grade mentor Marya Alford will be attending 10th grade Arrow Week and said she visits Yosemite National Park once a year and goes to Joshua Tree monthly. Alford thinks many people overlook the importance of park employees.

“[A lot of park visitors] think it’s just a natural land and we go out there and it’s as is, but it’s not,” Alford said. “Our park employees do so much. When I go backpacking to Yosemite every year, I meet with a ranger who goes over my schedule and my plan, and … they quiz us, and they say, ‘How far away from water should you park? What do you do for going to the bathroom and things like that?’ And so they quiz you so that every person that is going into the wilderness has a plan, and they’re responsible and they’re respectful for that space.”

People gathered in downtown Joshua Tree Monday, Feb. 17, to protest the layoffs from approximately 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Purdy said participation fluctuated throughout the day, and there were about 50 people participating in the protests at any given time. She said protesters’ signage was not anti-Trump but focused on the impact the firings would have on the park and public safety.

“Parks are, generally speaking, pretty nonpartisan in terms of who supports them,” Purdy said. “It’s not just Democrats that visit National Parks. It’s not just Republicans.”

Purdy said National Parks being understaffed is a safety issue, as park employees include firefighters, rangers who prevent people from getting lost and conservation experts, all doing work mandated by Congress. She worries the inconsiderate treatment of more easily fired probational employees seen throughout many branches of government recent weeks could turn many potential workers away from the federal government.

“Those are the young people that are coming in to be the leaders of tomorrow,” Purdy said, “and if we get rid of all of them and demoralize them so that they never trust working for the federal government again, it’s going to really impact our ability to operate as a country.”

Joshua Tree National Park employees are aware of what happens to the park when it is understaffed or unstaffed, remembering the park gates being left open for thirty-five days during a government shutdown in 2018 which Purdy said caused miles of extremely damaging new roads to be created in the park as a result of unregulated visitors driving through. While many people are hoping environmental difficulties will be dealt with in four years after the Trump administration ends, Alford said she is worried that many of these issues must be dealt with now.

“As we see with just with climate change … a lot can happen in a four-year time span,” Alford said. “So I’m really concerned about where that takes us within … the space of protecting our natural lands. ”

There are many uncertainties around the fate of National Parks, as AP News recently reported the National Park Service has restored 50 jobs and pledged to hire thousands of seasonal workers to help maintain the parks. While some parks, such as Joshua Tree and Yosemite, are feeling the consequences of the layoffs, other parks like Mojave National Preserve are not as affected. Mojave National Preserve park ranger Phillip Gomez said the news is unsettling, but his park has been less impacted than others, possibly on account of being lesser known.

“It just creates a lot of uncertainty,” Gomez said.

Amidst this uncertainty, Alford said the 10th grade Arrow Week plan remains intact. She thinks the trip takes on a new importance in light of the federal firings.

“I’m super excited. It’s a beautiful time of year. … I think [the students will] … develop a deeper appreciation for at least Joshua Tree, being in that space, and I think that’s so important about Archer’s outdoors program,” Alford said. “It’s instilling an appreciation for the natural world and a respect for it. You might not love it, right? But you can leave saying, ‘Oh, I respect that, and I understand it a little bit better now.'”

This story was originally published on The Oracle on March 5, 2025.