Philly's Independence Park hit by national park layoffs
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Independence Visitor Center in Philly. Photo: John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Trump administration's purge of federal employees has led to nearly two dozen firings at Pennsylvania national parks and forests, including in Philly, per an unofficial tally shared with Axios.
Why it matters: Tourism to Pennsylvania's 19 national parks, trails and historic sites contributed $426 million to the state's economy in 2023, according to a federal report released last year.
The big picture: More than 750 U.S. national park workers have been fired, per an unofficial tally by a U.S. park ranger who requested anonymity to protect their job and employment prospects.
- The spreadsheet is based on reports from hundreds of rangers and other park workers in multiple online groups. The crowdsourced effort is likely incomplete and undercounts the full breadth of the firings.
Case in point: Reported firings at many of Pennsylvania's parks were unavailable.
- Employees fear repercussions for sharing information about how they're being impacted by the cuts in defiance of the Trump administration's gag order, Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, tells Axios.
Zoom in: Philadelphia's Independence National Historic Park — which logged about 2.6 million visitors last year — lost two employees, per the tally.
- But at least 11 hirings have been rescinded since President Trump took office, according to a source with knowledge who wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
- Park officials expect to learn next week whether they'll lose more employees, which could force them to scale back hours, the source tells Axios.
Between the lines: The firings come as Philly is busy preparing for the nation's 250th anniversary next year.
- Local officials said last year that Independence Park desperately needed more resources and was "woefully behind" on preparations for 2026.
- There's fear among Independence Park employees that if there are more firings, NPS won't be able to produce the type of celebration the "world's going to expect when they want to come see the symbols of democracy and freedom," the source says.
Zoom out: Across Pennsylvania, Gettysburg and the Delaware Water Gap were hit hardest, each losing five NPS employees, followed by Valley Forge (4) and Steamtown (3), per the tally.
- Hopewell Furnace, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail and North Country each lost one employee.
In Gettysburg, the cuts led to the shuttering of a new vacation rental program that allowed visitors to rent historic houses on the battlefield, per Penn Live.
- Park union steward Mark Cochran told the outlet the park already relied heavily on seasonal workers, who made up about three-quarters of staff.
What they're saying: The cuts sparked protests across Pennsylvania, including from retired employees who say the Trump administration is gutting the nation's "crown jewels."
- At Independence Park, protesters showed support by handing park rangers handwritten cards with words of encouragement, the source says.
Meanwhile, morale among park employees is "as low as it's ever been," according to Wade.
- "The only thing that's going to turn it around is if the public gets concerned enough and angry enough that they start … going to their elected officials and complaining," he says.
The bottom line: Pennsylvanians should expect more closures or reduced hours at some state parks, fewer ranger-led programming and dirtier bathrooms, Wade says.