Protests erupted across the country this weekend after the White House laid off tens of thousands of workers, including 4,475 from the parks system.
But outdoor groups and prominent retailers are worried that the layoffs are only the beginning. Even as national parks like Yosemite close up reservations, and former rangers warn of dire consequences for the park system, other proposals — like opening up public lands to mining and energy development — have outraged many state lawmakers and conservation groups.
Even recent victories for the outdoor economy are now at risk. Congress passed the EXPLORE Act two months ago to expand recreation access, but those plans may not come to fruition without federal workers to implement them, according to the Outdoor Alliance, a coalition of 10 organizations.
“From streamlining permits to improving recreation infrastructure, every aspect of the bill depends on having enough skilled agency staff to carry out its vision,” the Outdoor Alliance wrote in a public statement. “Cutting the very workforce responsible for making public lands accessible directly undermines the progress Congress just made.”
Even REI Co-op joined the fray. After initially endorsing Doug Burgum as Trump’s Secretary of the Interior — and then getting blowback from customers — the retailer is now petitioning to overturn Burgum’s plans for energy development on public lands.
You can find that “Hands Off Our Public Lands” petition on REI’s Cooperative Action Network. There’s also a campaign from Outdoor Alliance asking lawmakers to reverse the staffing cuts.
National Monuments Up for Review
- Every national monument back to the very first established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
- Every mineral withdrawal, ranging from protections for the Boundary Waters in Minnesota to Colorado’s Thompson Divide.
- Every Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resource management plan.
