May 27, 2025
Washington, D.C. — As the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) brace for impact, with public reporting warning additional layoffs are imminent, Congressman Joe Neguse introduced landmark legislation that pushes back against further cuts to the federal workforce and moves to restore adequate staffing levels ahead of the agencies’ busy summer months. The bills, the Protect our Parks Act and Save Our Forests Act, direct administration officials to rehire individuals wrongfully terminated as part of Trump’s DOGE initiative.
“Coloradans are sounding the alarm: the Trump Administration’s federal funding and purging of the workforce have made our national parks and forests less safe and more prone to disaster. This is simply unacceptable,” said Congressman Neguse. “With the summer months fast approaching, we must act to reinstate terminated employees at our land management agencies to protect communities across the West.”
Neguse, who serves as Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, represents some of Colorado’s world-renowned parks and forests, including Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapaho and Roosevelt and White River National Forests. Since the start of the year, he’s been a vocal opponent of the administration’s full-scale attack on the federal workforce, and his latest effort highlights the dramatic impact of cuts on parks and forests—leaving these shared spaces understaffed and vulnerable, with weakened wildfire prevention, search-and-rescue operations, and maintenance of campgrounds, trails, and restrooms.
“The Trump Administration’s relentless and deeply damaging attacks on our federal workforce, especially the dedicated public servants at the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, demand accountability,” said Ranking Member Jared Huffman. “From abrupt relocations to politically motivated firings, the career professionals who steward our public lands have been treated as expendable. With another wave of forced reductions reportedly imminent, Congress must act. The Protect Our Parks Act and the Save Our Forests Act will ensure these agencies are fully staffed, reinstate wrongfully terminated employees, and keep critical federal projects on track—from climate resilience and wildfire prevention to trail maintenance and infrastructure upgrades. We owe it to these workers, and to the American people who depend on them, to set this right.”
Both the Protect our Parks Act and Save Our Forests Act are co-led by Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Vice Ranking Member Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), as well as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture, Andrea Salinas (OR-06). They are championed by Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) in the United States Senate.
“With summer fast approaching, we should be hiring more workers who can keep visitors safe at our national parks and protect our communities from wildfires. Instead, the Trump Administration is recklessly firing workers at both the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service – putting even more strain on these agencies at a time when they are already short-staffed,” said Congresswoman Salinas. “These job cuts are unacceptable, which is why I’m proud to introduce two bills that would restore staffing levels and rehire Park Rangers and Forest Service workers who were wrongfully terminated. America’s public servants deserve respect and appreciation for their hard work, and our legislation does just that.”
Find additional details on the bills below:
- The Protect our Parks Act directs the Secretary of Interior to ensure adequate staffing within the National Park System for the overall safety and wellbeing of visitor safety and natural and cultural resource protection. It also orders the reinstatement of any individuals terminated as part of the Trump Administration’s reckless mass firings (beginning on January 20, 2025).
- The Save Our Forests Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture to ensure adequate staffing within the National Forest System, as well as proper resources for maintaining the health, diversity, and productivity of these lands. It also orders the reinstatement of any individuals terminated as part of the Trump Administration’s reckless mass firings (beginning on January 20, 2025).
“The National Park Service and National Forest Service are crucial to land conservation, historic preservation, and protecting our natural resources. Due to the illegal actions of this Administration, these agencies are operating on a skeleton crew and shoestring budget to carry out the work the law requires. I am proud to co-lead the Protect Our Parks Act and Save Our Forests Act with Assistant Leader Neguse, Ranking Member Huffman, and Rep. Salinas to reinstate staff and restore funding at the NPS and NFS,” said Congresswoman Elfreth.
Both bills also help keep critical federal projects moving forward, including those funded by widely supported and enacted laws such as the Great American Outdoors Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.
They are endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, The Wilderness Society, Environment America, National Federation of Federal Employees, and The Trust for Public Land; and the Protect our Parks Act has additional backing from the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).
See what they’re saying below:
“Our national parks are facing a crisis. Since January, roughly 13% of park staff have been pushed out due to pressured buyouts, retirements and resignations,” said President and CEO of National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Theresa Pierno. “These workers are the backbone of our parks, maintaining trails, managing wildlife, guiding visitors, and protecting our natural and cultural heritage. Parks can’t thrive without the staff who protect them, which is why this bill is so critical right now. This bill would bring back essential staffing as parks face record-breaking crowds. NPCA commends Representatives Neguse, Huffman, Elfreth and Salinas for supporting the dedicated staff who care for America’s most cherished places every day.”
