Weekly Watch: Facing Protests and Silencing Dissent
Trump and His Cronies Face Protests, Target Employees and Visitors, and Silence Dissent
HELENA, MT – Save Our Parks is tracking the massive assault against America’s national parks and public lands system by Donald Trump, billionaire Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and their cronies, documenting the ongoing consequences of Trump’s unprecedented attack on our nation’s natural heritage.
This week, Republicans visiting Glacier National Park and the Flathead Valley faced protests from conservationists and community members concerned with the Trump administration’s slashing of National Parks funding. The Wednesday event kept the pressure on Montana Republicans Steve Daines, Tim Sheehy, and Ryan Zinke and was a positive gathering meant to rally support for the park, which has had its funding gutted at the same time it’s seeing a surge in visitation.
In Oregon, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden joined local activists who are fighting to protect Crater Lake, the state’s only national park. The park is closing the Cleetwood Trail after this season, the only trail that leads to the shore of the lake, and it won’t be fixed and ready for visitors again until the summer of 2029. “For many years, I took our national parks for granted. Working as an advocate for conservation, you assume Oregon’s national parks will always be protected, but that illusion only holds because so many people are working so hard behind the scenes to make sure that is true,” said Caitlyn Burford of the National Parks Conservation Association.
At Yosemite National Park, in another instance of the Trump administration abusing its power and targeting park employees who express their views, a park ranger was fired after hanging a trans flag from El Capitan. But it doesn’t stop there: a National Park Service spokesperson said that the agency is “pursuing administrative action against several Yosemite National Park employees and possible criminal charges against several park visitors who are alleged to have violated federal laws and regulations related to demonstrations.”
This follows a consistent pattern throughout the year of National Park employees being afraid to speak out about the litany of changes the Trump administration has made, fearing retribution or the loss of their jobs. “They’re not allowed to speak to us. And it’s been very difficult to find anybody off the record who will tell us the story. But we know what the facts are,” said Phil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
Each week, Save Our Parks compiles and distributes a roundup documenting threats to America’s national parks and public lands. Our weekly watch report tracks budget cuts, staffing shortages, privatization efforts, and policy changes affecting our treasured natural and historical sites. Compiled news coverage, eyewitness accounts, and official reports from across the country provide essential information in order to hold the Trump administration, Secretary Burgum, and lawmakers accountable and defend our shared natural heritage.
Parks and Public Lands in the News:
Safety and Preparedness
Fox 12 Oregon: Sen. Wyden, conservation advocates say cuts to National Park Service impact Crater Lake
“Oregon Senator Ron Wyden spoke on Sunday about how cuts to the National Park Service are affecting Crater Lake, the state’s only national park. Officials say Crater Lake is seeing higher than usual foot traffic this year because of expected closures on the main trail to the lake at the end of this season. Wyden was joined by the retired superintendent of Crater Lake National Park, along with other park advocates. Advocates spoke with Wyden about what will be needed to continue supporting the park’s hardworking staff.”
SF Gate: Overflowing toilets, trash heaps plague Washington hiking hot spots
“In one place, it’s an untrimmed trail. In another, a trash bin left overflowing or a closed restroom. Across Washington’s public lands, these small inconveniences are starting to add up for visitors as the effects of the U.S. Forest Service cutbacks this year are beginning to appear. As the state faces an extreme wildfire forecast and the Forest Service considers closing its regional offices in Portland, which cover the entire Pacific Northwest, the federal agency is coming under fire for maintaining recreation areas in national forests across the state.”
Axios: From dirty bathrooms to fire risks: Public lands feel the pinch this summer
Whether it's dirty bathrooms, unkempt trails or greater wildfire risks, America's public lands face new threats this summer. The Trump administration and Republican-led Congress are targeting public lands, such as national forests and parks, for workforce and spending cuts. … [former supervisor of Colorado's White River National Forest Scott] Fitzwilliams compares the situation to car maintenance. Without it, the vehicle will operate, but one day it will break down and cost more to fix. ‘I worry about safety issues, fire issues and then just long-term stewardship issues, fire mitigation, wildlife habitat protection, taking care of our trails, taking care of our recreation sites,’ he said.”
The Travel: “It’s Only Getting Worse”: Florida National Park Site Now Only Open Once A Month Thanks To Federal Cuts
“The Trump Administration's cuts to the NPS at the beginning of the year had plenty of repercussions for many national parks, state parks, and other tourist sites. A few days ago, Caitlyn Burford, a National Parks Conservation Association member, stated that Crater Lake National Park is now operating with just over half its usual employees. She added that workers are now being pushed to their breaking point.”
Pensacola News Journal: National Park Service cuts hit home as staffing shortages largely close Fort Barrancas
“Once a popular destination as much for locals as tourists, visitation to historic Fort Barrancas at Naval Air Station Pensacola has been reduced to being open just one day a month. Until 2017, Fort Barrancas was open seven days a week. Gulf Islands National Seashore - which is part of the National Park Service − cut back its schedule to five days a week starting that year, eliminating Tuesday and Wednesday visitation, due to a shortage of staff.”
Kiowa County Press: Air in New Mexico national parks could soon be less breathable
“A national parks advocacy group said vehicle pollution, already causing problems in some of the national parks, could get worse if the Trump administration succeeds in its push to drastically cut pollution reduction programs. A new report from the National Parks Conservation Association showed cars and trucks play a major role in air pollution in parks but their effects have not been documented as much as those from industrial sources.”
KLCC: Advocates sound the alarm on funding cuts to Crater Lake National Park
“National parks across the country are already short-staffed, and the U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed steep cuts to the Park Service's budget for next year. Karen Walters, with Friends of Crater Lake, said it's becoming unsustainable. ‘We are filling in for staff that is way, way, way short,’ she said. ‘We are doing projects that should have been done years ago, but because of funding and staff cuts, they're not getting done.’”
Privatization and Sell-Offs
E&E News: DOGE official is still at Interior after expected exit
“Tyler Hassen, who led the DOGE effort at Interior before he took another senior post at the department, hasn’t yet left as many of his colleagues anticipated, according to four people familiar with his employment status. His continued presence at the department comes after Hassen publicly announced his departure. His presence is fueling speculation that he’s planning to wrap up a major reorganization or downsizing effort before he leaves.”
National Parks Traveler: Why No National Park Service Director?
“If that remains the case, the impact on the Park Service will be significant. As we said earlier this year, a Senate-confirmed director is needed not just to keep the agency from being further impacted by the Department of Government Efficiency, but to calm the nerves of a rattled Park Service workforce, and to fight to see that the administration fails in its bid to jettison untold numbers of National Park System units and to financially bankrupt the agency. Otherwise, we'll be left with political props.”
Wes Siler’s Newsletter: Where National Parks And Public Lands Stand Now, As Trump Administration Prepares To Privatize
“Despite our recent victory in fighting to remove the sell-off of million acres of public land from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Trump administration is still proceeding headlong with its plan for something much worse. Let’s check in on where national parks and other public lands stand right now, and look at how the Department of the Interior is gearing up to destroy them. ‘Doug Burgum [the Secretary of the Interior] is telling you what his plan is,’ Jayson O'Neill, spokesperson for Save our Parks, a pro-public lands advocacy group, told me yesterday. ‘Believe him.’”
Public Domain: Sen. Mike Lee Says He’s Working To Rein In Housing Costs. His Record Tells A Different Story.
“But [Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-Utah)] record on affordable housing tells a different story. He has long championed public land sales as the key to push down home prices in the West by opening up more lots to boost supply — a strategy that critics say could just as easily spur the construction of unaffordable McMansions or luxury cabins. At the same time, Lee has kept those who work on housing affordability at arms length and pushed legislation that advocates say would make it harder, not easier, for Americans to access affordable homes. ... ‘Michael Carroll, the BLM campaign director for the Wilderness Society, told Public Domain that Lee has “consistently tried to make selling public lands the solution to the very real affordable housing challenges Westerners face, while working against measures to address the issue.’”
Community Impacts
New York Times: Yosemite Biologist Who Hung Trans Pride Flag From El Capitan Is Fired
“‘Everything that I did was off the clock and had absolutely nothing to do with my capacity working for the National Park Service,’ Dr. Joslin said. ‘I think that the administration is using me as a sign to tell all of the other federal employees that they have to be silent and comply or they will be eliminated.’”
SF Gate: 'A direct attack': Yosemite National Park employees furious over firing of scientist
“Three months after a large transgender pride flag appeared on Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, park officials have terminated one employee involved in hoisting the flag and placed two others on administrative leave. The unprecedented move sparked outrage among park staffers and community members, who described the actions as “a direct attack” by the Trump administration.”
The Guardian: Trump’s move to sanitize US history gets little support with national park visitors
“As part of his administration’s war on ‘woke’, Donald Trump has asked the American public to report anything ‘negative’ about Americans in US national parks. But the public has largely refused to support a world view without inconvenient historical facts, comments submitted from national parks and seen by the Guardian show.”
KGUN 9 Tucson: Keep Parks Public tour stops in Tucson to push back against national park cuts
“Brandi Fenton Memorial Park became the latest stop Sunday on a regional tour rallying opposition to deep cuts to the National Park Service. The Keep Parks Public tour, launched by the Center for Western Priorities, is traveling across the West to raise awareness about the impact of cuts to national parks. This includes cuts from the recently passed ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ which rescinded more than $260 million in planned national park improvements.”
Livingston Enterprise: Rally for National Parks Service coming to Gardiner
“To celebrate the founding of the National Park Service on Aug. 25, 1916, and to support our national parks and public lands, Indivisible Park County and the Women’s Action Project, two local organizations, are sponsoring a rally at the Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner on Aug. 23, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.”
Hungry Horse News: Rally planned for support of national parks as GOP visits Glacier Wednesday
“‘Conservationists want to use the opportunity to support the Park and to remind members of the Caucus that they need to reinstate park employees and funding cut by the Trump Administration. This is a positive, supportive rally to keep the pressure on Montana Sens. Steve Daines, Tim Sheehy, and Congressman Ryan Zinke. Please come, even for an hour if you can,’ Hildner said in an email shared with the Hungry Horse News.”
Stories on the Ground
This month, Save Our Parks launched a digital tip line to document the real-time impact of the Trump administration’s systematic dismantling of America’s national parks and public lands system. The tip line portal collects written reports and photo documentation of devastating budget cuts, mass firings, and privatization schemes. With Trump’s “park and public land failure by design so his cronies can privatize” schemes advancing, the tip line aims to create a comprehensive public record documenting how this administration is directly harming our nation’s most treasured natural resources and the communities that depend on them.
@western.priorities: We had a great rally for public lands in Tucson this morning! Thank you to everyone who came out to join the fight to @keepparkspublic!
@western.priorities: Public lands are essential to New Mexicans. We gathered in front of Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument yesterday to tell Trump “don’t touch our monuments!”
@NPCAPics: 📢 Calling all Park Protectors! 📆 NPCA is leading a Day of Action to #ProtectEveryPark on 8/23. We’re taking action online, AND have more than 30 in-person events across the country. ⚠️ We could lose more than 350 national parks unless we come together and put an end to the reckless attacks on park staff, funding, and the parks themselves. ➡️ If you love parks, we need you – learn more at npca.org/everypark and tag a friend to spread the word.
The Crisis Continues:
The crisis continues to escalate across America’s 640-million-acre public lands system and is poised to get worse after Trump’s spending package, passed by Congressional Republicans, slashed some $267 million of previously committed funding for national parks. The National Park Service has lost nearly a quarter of its permanent workforce since Trump took office, with some parks now operating without superintendents and at half-staff during peak visitation. Between Trump, DOGE, and Republicans’ draconian budget cuts, hiring freezes, and workforce reductions, the staffing shortages are forcing scientists, park rangers, and other safety personnel to clean toilets and pick up garbage instead of conducting critical work like ongoing maintenance and supporting visitor safety.
Save Our Parks documents and exposes conditions across America’s federal park and public lands system through monitoring reports, visitor testimonials, and accountability research. The campaign maintains comprehensive documentation through its website at SaveOurParks.us.
To speak with Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill, email press@saveourparks.us.
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