Federal cuts leave Colorado parks and forests vulnerable
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A sign near the entrance to Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo: Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
At least 90 U.S. Forest Service employees in Colorado have been fired as part of the Trump administration's push to downsize the federal workforce, Gov. Jared Polis said Friday.
Why it matters: State leaders warn the cuts — part of a nationwide reduction of 3,400 Forest Service and 1,000 National Park Service jobs — will weaken wildfire prevention, search-and-rescue efforts and maintenance of campgrounds, trails and restrooms.
- Officials with the Association of National Park Rangers said slower emergency response times, park closures, reduced hours and educational programs, and more litter are imminent.
The big picture: The cuts come as both agencies already face staffing shortages and budget shortfalls amid record-high national park visitation.
What they're saying: Polis, a Democrat, called the firings a "reckless endangerment" and warned they could drive up homeowners insurance prices by undermining wildfire prevention.
- Retired park ranger Kathy Brazelton told Denver7 that job losses will hurt local tourism-dependent economies. "If these [workers] have to leave because they've lost their jobs" or "if we can't have the parks open as often as we'd like to ... the local economy will suffer," Brazelton said.
Driving the news: On Monday, about 100 people gathered at Rocky Mountain National Park to protest the firings, the Estes Park Trail-Gazette reported.
- "Massive staffing shortages and layoffs are threatening the future of Rocky Mountain National Park and the livelihoods of those who care for it," organizers wrote on social media.
State of play: A Jan. 20 federal hiring freeze led to thousands of rescinded seasonal job offers at national parks across the U.S., including in Colorado.
- In a Feb. 14 letter, Colorado's Democratic congressional delegation urged U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to reinstate those workers, warning the move "will destabilize … the rural communities [that seasonal workers] serve."
By the numbers: Colorado's four national parks, which rely on seasonal hires for peak season, hosted 7 million visitors, supported 11,000 jobs and generated nearly $800 million for local communities in 2023, the latest data available, per the Denver Post.
What we're watching: The Trump administration is now signaling that some seasonal workers could be brought back, but hiring delays mean many may start well after the summer visitor surge — missing key preseason training and leaving parks understaffed during peak months, according to the Association of National Park Rangers.