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A2 u.s. news
Monday 24 February 2025
Fired employees fear beloved Yosemite National Park will lose its luster
By HAVEN DALEY our national monuments and
The Associated Press parks are just our greatest
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, treasure, and it just ruined
Calif. (AP) — Yosemite Na- my dream, you know?”
tional Park employees who Public safety also could be
recently were fired by the at risk since the park’s search
Trump administration worry and rescue teams have
cuts will affect the experi- been impacted by the lay-
ence of visitors and the wel- offs, Chmura said.
fare of wildlife that thrive in Other former employees are
the popular vacation desti- concerned with the welfare
nation located in California’s of wildlife living in the park.
Sierra Nevada. Andria Townsend was a
Yosemite is home to giant carnivore specialist with the
sequoia trees and a haven National Park Service, lead-
for myriad wildlife species. ing research on the fisher, a
El Capitan, a 3,000-foot mammal and member of
(914-meter) wall of sheer the weasel family, and the
granite and possibly the Sierra Nevada red fox, both
world’s most fabled rock endangered species.
face, attracts climbers from Visitors take in a view of Bridalveil Fall Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Yosemite National Park, Townsend started working
around the world. Such ma- at the park in October 2023,
jestic qualities also are what Calif. Associated Press. but a recent promotion to a
attracted people to work at new position meant she was
the beloved park that is a the country. newly hired National Park educate visitors and perform reclassified as a probation-
destination for families from The Trump administration Service employees who other functions as part of its ary employee, so her job was
California and throughout last week fired about 1,000 maintain and clean parks, broad-based effort to down- eligible for termination.
size government. She said she is worried about
Facing outcry, the admin- the future of wildlife in the
istration plans to restore at park, including animals be-
least 50 jobs across the parks. coming accustomed to eat-
The park service also said in ing garbage left by humans
a new memo it will hire more if there is no one to dispose
seasonal workers than nor- of it properly.
mal. The park service has “Bigger picture long-term,
about 20,000 employees. what does this mean for the
At least a dozen of those state of national parks? What
who lost their jobs worked does this mean for wildlife
at Yosemite. conservation? It’s really
Olek Chmura, a rock climber scary,” Townsend said. “It’s
who moved to California a really uncertain time for
from Ohio and last year took those of us who care about
a job as a custodian at the conservation and public
park, received his letter of lands, so I am definitely wor-
termination last week. ried for the future.”
He and another laid-off cus- The park service says it is re-
todian were the only two instating about 5,000 sea-
who worked his section of sonal jobs across numerous
the park and he fears trash parks that were cut as part
will pile up, restrooms won’t of a spending freeze or-
be cleaned and mainte- dered by President Donald
nance problems will grow, Trump. Seasonal workers are
Chmura said. routinely added during the
“You’d be amazed with how warm-weather months to
many diapers I pick up off serve the millions of visitors
the side of the road. Beer who descend on Yosemite
bottles, toilet paper, all the each year.
stuff so you don’t have to The uncertainty and con-
see. You get to see the park fusion has lowered morale
in its true natural beauty,” he among park employees and
said. the communities surrounding
Getting a job at the park was the park, said Ken Yager,
a dream come true because who founded the Yosemite
it allowed him to follow his Climbing Association and
passion of rock climbing dur- runs its museum in Mariposa,
ing his time off, Chmura said. California, a gateway city to
“I knew the writing was on the park.
the wall but, I mean, nothing “People around here are
will just prepare you for the pretty depressed," Yager
shock once you get that let- said. "They’re a little worried
ter. Because, you know, it’s about what’s going to hap-
everything I love. It’s the park pen. How much further is it
service,” he said. “I mean, going to go?”q
