At least 27 federal employees at central coast parks, forests, and recreation areas were purged during the Trump Administration’s mass firings earlier this month. Several others who were in the process of being hired for critical roles were cancelled before they started, and the offices are bracing for additional reductions in staff expected in the coming months.
The terminations were orchestrated by billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”), which is engaged in a radical downsizing of critical federal agencies, including those that manage public lands and protect wildlife.
Locally, some of the positions targeted by the administration include wildlife biologists, archaeologists, and recreation specialists stationed at Los Padres National Forest, Channel Islands National Park, Santa Monical Mountains National Recreation Area, Carrizo Plain National Monument, and national wildlife refuges at Hopper Mountain, Bitter Creek, and Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes.
Nationwide, tens of thousands of positions were cut, including at least 2,300 at the Department of Interior, which is the agency that oversees the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The U.S. Forest Service fired 3,400 of its employees across the country, according to official reports.
“Our public lands—and the professional stewards who have devoted their careers to protecting them—deserve better than this,” said ForestWatch executive director Jeff Kuyper. “These lands support wildlife, outdoor recreation opportunities for families, and clean water for our towns and farms. Parks and forests need more protection and attention, not less. Trump and Musk are placing our nation’s favorite places in great peril.”
Local Jobs Lost: By the Numbers
Officials have not released information about specific parks and forests, but ForestWatch tabulated the following losses in our area from crowdsourcing on social media and conversations with fired employees:
- Channel Islands National Park: 6 employees fired, including a biological science technician
- Los Padres National Forest: 6 employees fired, including the forest’s top wildlife biologist, an archaeologist, and two recreation technicians
- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: 8 employees fired, including workers focused on archaeology, wildlife research (including mountain lion studies), special park use (like getting permits for filming or wedding rentals), and emergency medical response
- Pinnacles National Park: 2 employees fired, including the park’s Condor Crew Leader
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ventura Field Office: 4 employees fired
- California Condor Recovery Program/Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex: at least 1 condor biologist fired
Many of the fired employees received emails saying their termination was due to “low performance” and that their continued employment would not be in the “public interest,” despite having high performance records and serving critical roles. One federal employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said that inflicting pain on the agencies and their work is the Trump administration’s main driver behind the mass firings. “This isn’t about efficiency or optimizing government function or anything else. The pain is the point.”
The firings targeted employees in “probationary periods,” including new hires and mid- and upper-level employees who recently took new positions. These positions were targeted because they have fewer legal protections. Some fired employees had worked with the agencies for years but just recently were promoted to permanent positions.
The effects were immediate. Summertime reservations in Yosemite National Park were put on hold the same day the firings were announced. Several national parks closed their visitor centers certain days of the week due to lack of staffing. Ranger programs have stopped at some parks.
A Swift Response
Members of Congress attempted to restore these critical positions. Colorado Senator Michael Bennett proposed an amendment to budget legislation that would reinstate federal public lands employees. Our two California senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla—the latter of whom co-sponsored the amendment along with other Western senators—voted in favor of the amendment. But the effort failed 48-52, with only one Republican—Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska—voting in favor of reinstating the employees.
Responses from conservation groups, federal workers, and public lands visitors was swift. Protests were organized at the entrances to Rocky Mountain National Park and Zion National Park, with more planned in the weeks to come. Rangers unfurled a giant American flag in distress from atop El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Employee organizations like the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks have filed suit in federal court to reverse the firings. Today, a judge ordered a partial halt to the firings, ruling that the mass firings were likely illegal.
Forest Service Chief Resigns, Citing Mass Firings
Forest Service Chief Randy Moore cited the firings in his letter announcing his resignation as the head of the U.S. Forest Service, effective March 3.
“The past several weeks has been incredibly difficult. As part of a broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government, we parted ways with colleagues we worked alongside, who successfully contributed to our mission, and who were valued members of our Forest Service team.
If you are feeling uncertainty, frustration, or loss, you are not alone. These are real and valid emotions that I am feeling, too. Please take care of yourselves and each other.…
The workforce will continue to be unsettling for a while. Thank you for your dedication to our mission and for the work you carry out every day. You and the work you do are meaningful and do not let anyone make you believe otherwise.”
What’s Next?
The affected agencies are already reeling from the effects of hiring freezes and deferred resignations, and many offices were already short-staffed following years of budget cuts. Additional staffing reductions are likely as the Republican-controlled Congress considers additional severe budget cuts. Funding for some nonprofit organizations, which depend on federal grants to partner with land management agencies to do critical work, is on the chopping block as Trump-Musk scrutinize and cancel federal contracts.
Representatives from Los Padres National Forest headquarters in Solvang declined to comment, referring our inquiries to a media spokesperson at the agency’s regional headquarters. No response was received, despite repeated requests.
Similarly, representatives from the Carrizo Plain National Monument referred us to the Bureau of Land Management’s media relations department in Washington DC, which also ignored our requests for comment.
“Musk and Trump aren’t saving us money or increasing government efficiency,” said Kuyper. “They are pillaging our public lands agencies and robbing from our parks and forests. Today and every day, we stand with our public lands and the workers who protect them. Their losses are losses for everyone.”
What Can We Do?
Our public lands workers are resilient and mobilizing on several fronts, but they need our help. Without action, things will get worse, and more biologists, recreation specialists, and park rangers will lose their jobs. Here’s what you can do:
- Call your congressperson and senators.
- Share this far and wide—tell your friends, family, and neighbors what is being done to our parks and forests. Mass public awareness and media coverage of this issue is critical to prevent any further attacks on our parks and forests, and those who care for them.
- Donate money to advocacy and stewardship organizations.
- Visit our parks and forests, do it responsibly, and leave them better than you found them. There may be no one to pick up trash, control crowds, or rescue you. While you’re there, thank and be kind to federal workers. They want to hear that their work is appreciated.
- Volunteer through a reputable stewardship organization (but don’t volunteer for a job a properly trained ranger used to do).
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