Stand for the Land
Protect NPS and Public Lands
The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916, to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of all generations. So it’s time to celebrate its 109th anniversary.
There are more than 430 national parks across the country, including battlefields, seashores, recreation areas, and historical sites and monuments that preserve American history and landscapes. NPS employs 20,000 people. I hope there is a national park or public land near you. Close to where Mary and I live are Glacier, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone National Parks.
But these national parks, these places we love, and their employees face serious threats, according to a recent analysis by the National Parks Conservation Association. Utilizing data from the Department of the Interior workforce database, NPCA found: “Since the Trump administration took office, the National Park Service has lost 24% of its permanent staff, a staggering reduction that has left parks across the country scrambling to operate with bare-bones crews. The park staff who remain are being asked to do more with less, and it’s simply not sustainable.”
The analysis also found that seasonal hiring “is lagging far behind the nearly 8,000 positions pledged by the administration, with only roughly 4,500 seasonal positions filled so far.”
NPCA concludes that with these staff cuts, there will be fewer rangers to protect visitors and resources, fewer staff to provide interpretation and education to visitors, slower emergency response times, and more strain on staff. All this while visitation to national parks surges.
In researching this issue, I interviewed Dave Uberuaga, a retired NPS employee. Before assuming the position of Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, Dave served as the superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state for nine years. During that time, he also served for more than a year as acting superintendent of Yosemite National Park.
In Dave’s view, “The challenges are many and unprecedented. In my 50 years of exposure, involvement, and employment with the NPS, there has never been a more difficult time. The chaos and uncertainty are overwhelming every aspect of the NPS operation.”
Other public lands are under threat, too. According to The Wilderness Society, threats include oil and gas interests asking the Trump administration to reopen illegal leases in a stretch of the Rocky Mountain Front. Congress is considering proposals that would strip protections from hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness study areas, potentially opening them up to mining and destructive forms of recreation without public input.
To support our national parks and public lands and celebrate the founding of NPS, Indivisible Park County (Mary and I are two of the co-founders) and the Women’s Action Project, another local activist organization, are sponsoring a rally at the Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana on August 23, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. (While you may not live nearby, you may be vacationing here, and I want you to know about the event. You can also see below for ways to stand for the land from wherever you live.)
The rally will begin with a speech from Dave Uberuaga. He will share his views on the threats to NPS and how to support national parks and public lands. As he told me, he hopes to motivate people to “write more letters, attend more rallies, donate to the causes that are trying to protect the NPS, talk with more people and tell them what is going on, connect and pair up with a friend or neighbor to encourage one another, attend every town hall meeting and let our representatives know their actions are unacceptable.”
We invite all those who want to learn about this issue and support NPS and public lands to bring their signs, their voices, and their friends to the hour-long rally. A core principle behind all Indivisible Park County and Women’s Action Project events is a commitment to nonviolent action. All participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with the views presented.
If you can’t attend the rally, you can still stand for the land:
Join NPS for National Public Lands Day on September 27, 2025. Since 1994, this annual event, held on the fourth Saturday of September, has been the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. Last year, over 130 national parks hosted events with 7,600 volunteers donating an impressive 41,500 hours of service. To learn more and find an event near you.
To get up to date on the threats to parks and public lands, you can start here. Once you feel informed:
Make your voice heard. Tell your senators and congressional reps to protect NPS and public lands. To Use 5Calls.org
Write to your representatives. Find yours using your address here.
I encourage you to speak out so that we have many more NPS anniversaries to celebrate and many more moments in the public lands we love.
It’s up to us, We the People, to stand for the land.
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