National parks – Aerial View of Florida Everglades at Sunset Hour – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by ocudrone
Following the Trump administration’s massive cuts to the National Park Service this month, employees at a number of Florida national parks, including Big Cypress and the Everglades, were let go.
Why it matters: Layoffs may result in shorter park hours, longer lineups to enter, and perhaps fewer field trips for younger pupils.
According to a federal estimate published last year, $871 million was spent in 2023 by tourists visiting Florida’s eight parks, trails, and historic sites.
Overall: Approximately 3,400 Forest Service and 1,000 National Park Service jobs are being eliminated countrywide by the Trump administration.
Situation: According to Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National site Rangers, it is still unclear whose position has been terminated at each site, he told Axios.
However, it’s evident that individuals who handle park programs, staff volunteers, plan site visits, such as field trips, and collect fees were the ones most affected, he said.
Zoom in: With 12 layoffs, Everglades National Park in South Florida reported the most, Wade said.
According to WLRN, three employees were let go and three more took early retirement, leaving half of the park’s research center workforce gone.
Three firings were reported at Biscayne National Park, which is located just south of Miami, and one at Big Cypress National Preserve, which is located east of Naples.
Canaveral National Seashore at New Smyrna Beach and De Soto National Memorial just south of St. Petersburg are among the other parks whose futures are uncertain. However, Wade stated that this does not imply that they were exempt from layoffs.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, the nation’s sole manatee refuge, laid off two staff members.
The most recent: According to ABC News, the Trump administration lifted a hiring ban for seasonal National Park Service personnel on Friday, enabling the agency to hire 7,700 new hires nationwide—a rise over prior years.
The bottom line: Wade stated that “a lot of concern” still exists among staff members in spite of the seasonal appointments. “They’re worried and stressed about their workload.”
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
