Grand Canyon entrance staff cut; longer lines to get in reported
GRAND CANYON - Feb. 26 marks the 106th anniversary of Congress establishing the Grand Canyon as a national park, but park-goers are worried after the Trump administration’s decision to cut 1,000 jobs from the national park service's staff.
The line to get into the Grand Canyon on Wednesday was slow-moving and growing by the minute. That's mid-week, too.
Trump administration directs agencies to plan for massive layoffs
The Trump administration has issued a memo instructing federal agencies to develop plans for significant reductions in their workforce, aiming to streamline government operations.
What we know:
Coincidence or not, but four out of the 10 of the park's employees who were laid off worked at the entrance gates.
"I think you’d be surprised how few there are, and how important their role is," said Mark Lamberti who was visiting from Colorado.
The season for road tripping to the country’s 433 national parks and sites begins in just a few weeks. Already there are reports of long lines at the Grand Canyon, while other parks are experiencing dirty bathrooms and injured hikers left unattended.
What they're saying:
Nine-year-old Javaiah grew up in the parks and is part of the Junior Ranger Program. Her grandmother, Nickie James, became emotional when asked about Elon Musk's and DOGE’s cuts to the sytem.
"We’ve been to 21, 22 parks, and they do so much more. We see the rangers in action, and they’re not just sitting at a desk," James said.
The Trump administration argues the cuts to park staff will save the American taxpayers billions of dollars, making the system more cost-effective and efficient.
It's hard to find a park visitor who agrees.
"It’s a bit of a travesty that public servants and national park staff have to face unplanned cuts that won’t truly save our budget from a $4 trillion tax cut for wealthy people," Lamberti said. "Find it somewhere else, because there’s plenty of ruthless spending that happens that isn’t part of America’s heritage."
Why you should care:
According to the Sierra Club in 2023, there were 325.5 million visitors to the national parks.
In the Grand Canyon, there’s growing concern about overcrowding and extreme heat. But, with fewer staff to head on those challenges, the national park conservation association warns people may need to take into consideration they won’t get the full experience this summer.