Trump Administration Cuts National Park Staff by 13%, Lays Off 1,400 in Education, Revises EPA Rules, and Plans Park Transfers

The Trump administration is implementing a series of measures affecting U.S. national parks, environmental regulations, and conservation programs. Staffing at national parks has declined by 13% since January 2025, with a hiring freeze contributing to operational challenges such as understaffing and requiring scientists to perform maintenance tasks. Nearly 1,400 layoffs occurred at the Department of Education amid efforts to dismantle the agency.

The administration plans to cut federal assistance to states for endangered species recovery and is considering transferring management of numerous national preserves, monuments, battlefields, and historical parks to state and tribal governments, some of which have expressed reluctance to assume these responsibilities. Environmental policies are also being revised: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks to repeal the Greenhouse Gas Reporting program, a 2009 rule mandating large carbon polluters to report emissions, which had contributed to reductions in planet-warming emissions. Additionally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing a Biden-era rule designed to increase participation in voluntary conservation programs, with the administration aiming to retool these programs to benefit industry and private landowners. The Interior Department announced plans to lift regulations on mineral prospecting in congressionally protected wilderness areas. There is criticism that these changes undermine environmental protections and leave federal and state governments less equipped to protect endangered plants and animals. The Trump administration has also been urged to use national parks as platforms to celebrate America's upcoming 250th anniversary, rather than cutting their funding. Separately, there is discussion about potentially designating sacred Native land as a monument to Christopher Columbus.