The Trump administration's federal workforce cuts have reached Utah's wildly popular national parks, prompting fears that millions of visitors will arrive to chaotic conditions at the Mighty Five.

Threat level: Traffic lined up for more than a half-mile at the Springdale entrance of Zion during Presidents Day weekend because gate booths were understaffed.

• The backup came on the heels of cuts to about 1,000 National Park Service and 3,400 Forest Service positions nationwide.

State of play: At least 13 employees at Zion National Park have been laid off, Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, told Axios.

• With 4.6 million visits reported last year, Zion was the third most visited national park in the U.S.
• Another two staffers were terminated from Bryce Canyon and three from Capitol Reef, Wade said, citing reports from current and former employees at the parks.

What they're saying: "In my mind, it's a crisis," Springdale Mayor Barbara Bruno told Fox 13.

• "There continues to be mass confusion at the management and staff level, with career people largely out of the loop and not consulted," Angela Gonzales, spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, told Axios.
• Spokespeople at multiple national parks directed Axios' questions about staffing to NPS offices in D.C. Those queries were not answered.

Zoom in: From 2010 to 2022, visits at Zion grew more than 75%, per NPS data.

• During that time, staffing fell from 184 to 164 full-time equivalent employees, the park reported.

Flashback: By 2018, visitors found toilets overflowing, trailhead queues that rivaled theme park attractions, and hours-long waits for shuttles.

By the numbers: Utah's national parks generated a record $2 billion from tourists in 2023 — the third highest dollar amount of any state.

What we're watching

About a week after firing long-time Salt Lake City police chief Mike Brown, Mayor Erin Mendenhall yesterday announced Brian Redd, the executive director of the Utah Department of Corrections, as her pick to replace him.

Why it matters: Redd's hiring, pending city council approval, would mark a new chapter for the Salt Lake City Police Department, which has come under pressure from GOP state leaders for its "ineffectiveness" in handling the homelessness crisis in Utah's capital city.

Catch up quick: A GOP lawmaker last week introduced a bill that would force the city to enter into an agreement with the state to curb homelessness and drug crimes. If the agreement isn't reached, the state could withhold funding from the city, under the bill.

Yes, but: Mendenhall told reporters the change of the guard was not related to the state lawmakers' pursuit of the legislation.

What they're saying: "Salt Lake City's police department today is strong in both our staffing and our public safety statistics, but we are also at an inflection point," Mendenhall told reporters Thursday at the Salt Lake City and County Building, adding that the city is facing criminal activities by drug cartels and "complex challenges" around homelessness.

Go deeper

We're more than halfway through Utah's legislative session.

The latest: State lawmakers are considering a bill that would dismantle a long-time committee that determines which government records are available to the public.

• SB 277, sponsored by Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell (R-Spanish Fork), would replace the State Records Committee for a governor-appointed attorney "with knowledge and experience relating to government records law."
• The measure passed a Senate committee this week in a 4-2 vote.

Between the lines: Similarly, legislators this week advanced a bill to the governor, HB 69, that would make it harder for the public or journalists to recover attorneys fees for records that are deemed public — even if they win access to them in court.

• The court may award the fees if it determines the government entity operated in "bad faith" to prevent the records from being released.

The big picture: It's the latest blow to government transparency, according to critics and first amendment advocates.

• Last year, Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill to make the calendars of public officials private and not subject to Utah's public records law.

💬 Hill Highlights is a weekly feature to recap what's going during Utah's legislative session.

More legislative news

🙅 Up to 1,000 IRS employees in Ogden expect to be laid off by May amid Trump's federal workforce cuts. (KSL.com)

🇺🇸 A disabled veteran in Salt Lake said he was fired from his position with the VA one month before his yearlong probationary period would have ended. (FOX 13)

• He received an email claiming he was being terminated for poor performance even though he said he received top marks on his final review.

🏘️ Salt Lake County's suburbs would be allowed to form a new county under a bill introduced Thursday in the state legislature. (Salt Lake Tribune)

This week, I glanced at Contento Cafe's winter menu during a friend's birthday brunch and then headed back to try their pozole, which is perfect for a snowy day.

The big picture: The hearty pork and hominy soup at the health-conscious Mexican restaurant in South Salt Lake is among the best in the valley.

• The soup came with a side of crunchy tortilla chips fried in beef tallow, diced onions, chillies and crumbly cheese.

Yes, but: While it was delightful and authentic, it will set you back $24.

• The eatery boasts its recipes for using organic and seed-free oil ingredients.

The bottom line: While certainly not the cheapest, you can expect delicious traditional Mexican fare at this eatery.

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