An association for national park rangers says it has confirmed the layoffs of at least 17 employees in Utah as part of the Trump administration’s move to fire 1,000 National Park Service workers last week.
Bill Wade, executive director for the Association of National Park Rangers, said that 12 employees were fired from Zion, two employees from Bryce Canyon and three from Capitol Reef. He was not able to confirm numbers from Arches and Canyonlands National Park as of Thursday evening.
The National Parks Conservation Association also confirmed the layoffs through conversations with park leadership, said Cassidy Jones, senior visitation program manager for the organization. But Jones, who lives in Utah and previously worked for the park service, said she has received reports that the number is closer to 30.
Jones said that the layoffs have affected Utah national parks’ specialized positions, maintenance and operations, including people who give tours, clear trails and restock toilet paper.
The employees who have been laid off are “really embedded in their communities,” she continued. “They were fired by people 2,000 miles away, and pretty indiscriminately.”
The park service manages the state’s five national parks alongside six national monuments, one national recreation area and one national historic park.
Read the full story at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.