This summer, record-breaking crowds are visiting national parks — but staffing levels are dangerously low.

Since President Trump returned to office, the National Park Service has lost nearly a quarter of its permanent workforce. Thousands of positions have been cut or left unfilled. Sites across the country are struggling to function.

In some parks, custodians and rangers have all been laid off. Critical roles like wildlife biologists, law enforcement officers, and even lifeguards remain vacant. Remaining staff are doing the jobs of two or three people — putting safety, access, and preservation at risk.

The Interior Department has not responded with urgency. Many parks are going without superintendents, and seasonal hiring is months behind schedule. Yet the Trump administration has proposed even deeper cuts to next year’s budget.

National parks are not just vacation destinations — they are public treasures and essential parts of American life. Visitors deserve safe, clean, and accessible parks. Staff deserve fair support, and the parks themselves deserve protection.

We’re calling on the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to immediately fill critical vacancies and halt further cuts.

Emergency staffing measures must be implemented now to protect visitors, employees, and the land itself.

Sign the petition to defend America’s national parks before it’s too late.