Protests erupted across the country this weekend after the White House laid off tens of thousands of workers, including 4,475 from the parks system.
But outdoor groups and prominent retailers are worried that the layoffs are only the beginning. Even as national parks like Yosemite close up reservations, and former rangers warn of dire consequences for the park system, other proposals — like opening up public lands to mining and energy development — have outraged many state lawmakers and conservation groups.
Even recent victories for the outdoor economy are now at risk. Congress passed the EXPLORE Act 2 months ago to expand recreation access, but those plans may not come to fruition without federal workers to implement them, according to the Outdoor Alliance, a coalition of 10 organizations.
“From streamlining permits to improving recreation infrastructure, every aspect of the bill depends on having enough skilled agency staff to carry out its vision,” the Outdoor Alliance wrote in a public statement. “Cutting the very workforce responsible for making public lands accessible directly undermines the progress Congress just made.”
Even REI Co-op joined the fray. After initially endorsing Doug Burgum as Trump’s Secretary of the Interior — and then getting blowback from customers — the retailer is now petitioning to overturn Burgum’s plans for energy development on public lands.
You can find that “Hands Off Our Public Lands” petition on REI’s Cooperative Action Network. There’s also a campaign from Outdoor Alliance asking lawmakers to reverse the staffing cuts.
National Monuments Up for Review
President Donald Trump’s firing of thousands of parks has galvanized many parks supporters across the country, with many fired workers and outdoor organizations presenting a dire picture of the impact to outdoor recreation.
After the latest workforce reductions, an already understaffed and underfunded park system faces the risk of closed visitor centers, campgrounds, restricted areas, or other changes. That’s according to Deny Galvin, a former deputy director of the National Park Service who now sits on the board of the National Park Conservation Association.
“The people in the White House have no idea what it takes or the effect that will play out, particularly with seasonal employees,” Galvin said.
But for many in the outdoor industry, Trump’s plans to open up public lands for energy development are even more concerning. A national energy emergency declared by Trump on his first day in office plans to “unleash” energy and natural resources from public lands. Included in Trump’s executive order are directives for federal staff to review the following for potential opportunities for mining, drilling, and other energy extraction:
- Every national monument back to the very first established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
- Every mineral withdrawal, ranging from protections for the Boundary Waters in Minnesota to Colorado’s Thompson Divide.
- Every Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resource management plan.
“By elevating and prioritizing questionable energy development needs and increased mining for private interests on land owned by all Americans, the public is shut out of their own public lands legacy,” said Patrick Berry, president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Conservation of fish and wildlife habitat and opportunities for hunters and anglers must be included as equal values.”
As a whole, Americans remain deeply divided about Trump’s policies, but a slim majority supports the massive layoffs designed by him and Elon Musk, who still has no official position in the government. According to a February poll from Quantus Insights, 49% of Americans said they approved of the layoffs, with 45% opposed.
And, Trump’s whirlwind first month shows no signs of slowing down. On Friday, Feb. 14, he established a new National Energy Dominance Council, led by Burgum, to hasten permits for energy production on federal lands, Politico reported.
“We’ve got to unleash [energy] from the Gulf of America all the way up to Alaska,” Burgum said of the new council.
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