GARDINER — Hundreds gathered at the North entrance of Yellowstone National Park Saturday afternoon to protest layoffs within the National Park Service, an action protesters say could have lasting effects on the future of America's national parks.
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The display was part of a nationwide effort of organized protests at all 433 U.S. national parks on March 1 by the National Park Service coalition Resistance Rangers. The protest in Yellowstone coincided with the 153rd anniversary of its founding, but this year’s celebration was overshadowed by growing concerns over job cuts instigated by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The firings are part of a larger effort by the Department of Government Efficiency to reduce the federal workforce.
Related: Photos: Hundreds gather at Yellowstone National Park to protest job layoffs
“Our national parks are one of the great gifts of America and they're under threat right now with the current Republican administration's funding cuts," said Katy Osterloth, a protester. “It's not about saving money. It is about what we spend our money on. And I, as a citizen of America, would like to spend our tax dollars on the things that make America great, and in my mind, that is our national parks. It is our public servants. It's our public employees."
Approximately 3,400 U.S. Forest Service and 1,000 National Park Service employees were recently fired. In the Custer Gallatin district, 32 employees were laid off and only five people remain in their positions. While the full impact of the layoffs remains uncertain, local residents, particularly those in areas near Yellowstone, have expressed concern over the long-term consequences, especially if fewer people decide to visit if park closures happen.
"That's gonna have a major impact on our lodging industry, our restaurants, our tour guides, our outfitters, and other places that really depend on tourism to sustain their families throughout the year, so we are really worried about the economic fallout from all of this," said Mary Strickroth, a protester.
The cuts are expected to lead to the hiring of more seasonal employees after a hiring freeze has ended, but many worry that these temporary positions cannot replace the expertise and institutional knowledge of the permanent staff lost. Visitation has increased in recent years—the National Park Service reported 325.5 million total visits to parks in 2023, a 4% increase from the year prior.
"Seasonal positions cannot replace permanent positions and the wealth of knowledge and experience and expertise those people have and that we have lost," said Strickroth. “Our public lands here and national parks, in particular, are going to be really at risk this summer when we don't have seasoned people here to mitigate the influx of visitors that we have. We've lost 20% of national park employees over the last decade, and yet our visitation has gone up greatly.”
Related: More seasonal workers approved for National Park Service—but layoff concerns linger in Yellowstone
Strickroth and Osterloth also expressed disappointment with the lack of response from Montana's congressional delegation. Congressman Ryan Zinke did tell News Nation last month, "If the job is important, you'll keep it. If the job is on the line, it'll be looked at. And, if the job isn't necessary, it'll be cut."
"I'm surprised that none of our Montana representatives in Washington are standing up for this. Our public parks, we have two of the world gems in Montana," said Osterloth.
Related: Concerned residents near Yellowstone National Park organizing to save National Park Service jobs
The nationwide protests were just the latest in a growing trend of recent demonstrations breaking out against federal workforce layoffs. Smaller communities are also speaking out in Montana. In Red Lodge on Friday, nearly 70 residents gathered at Pride Park expressing similar concerns.
"We weren't here to antagonize people. That's not our point at all, just to make people think," said Susan Wadsworth, who helped organize the protest. "We want our signs to help people to think about what's been going on because there are vulnerable people who will be very much hurt by what's been happening.”
Nine forest service employees in Red Lodge lost their jobs. Several former and current park employees shared their personal concerns at the protest, including Jillian Greene, a former employee of the Beartooth Ranger Station, who lost her job on Feb. 14.
"I feel a little angry that this is happening to our public lands and what we're all losing in all of this," said Greene during Friday's protest. "Most of us rely on federal housing as well, so come April I was planning to move into federal housing for six months, so now I have to figure out where I'm going to live in the next month."
In attendance was Kiley, who has been a public land servant and seasonal employee for 6 years. She fears not only for the future of the colleagues she has lost, but also how this will impact her job moving forward with more to do, but fewer people available.
"Closing campgrounds, closing bathrooms, closing trails, not having any trail maintenance for those trails is really going to impact the amount of people coming here, and also the amount of fun people can have," said Kiley.
Both Greene and Kiley also raised concerns over public safety, as the upkeep of trails will not be done, and EMT assistance or putting out potential forest fires would become greatly slowed in response or near impossible.
"We could see more negative interactions between humans and bears. We could see more wildfires because I put out so many fires in the backcountry," said Greene. "Just those little things that we do every day that feel normal to us and carrying out 30 pounds of trash on my back from Mystic Lake and those things where who's going to take that trash now?”
"Another impact would be firing a lot of us means that help isn't coming," added Kiley. "We are like the first people on the line. We are the first responders, we are the first ones to get you that help."
While the layoffs have sparked protests across the country, they have also left broader questions about how public lands will be managed and funded moving forward. This week's protests could signal the beginning of public pushback against federal workforce reductions.
"We get paid little and we do this job because we care, and so many people that still work in the federal government are scared for what's next," said Greene. “That's what makes our country great, is our public lands.”
“I would imagine there will be opposition, and I understand that, and I would just urge those who are opposing that give us the opportunity to sit down and talk so that I think we have probably more common values than we all believe," said Strickroth.
