About a thousand sacked National Park Service workers could soon return to work after high-ranking judges ordered the Trump administration to reverse drastic cuts to the federal workforce.
Back-to-back rulings from judges in Maryland and California deemed that the firing of probationary workers in several government agencies violated federal employment laws.
The mass layoffs did not follow proper legal procedures, according to Judges William Alsup and James Bredar.
“It is a sad, sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie,” said Alsup from the bench.
“That should not have been done in our country. It was a sham in order to avoid statutory requirements.”
An estimated 24,000 probationary workers have been sacked across the federal workforce in recent months; roughly 1,000 of those worked for the National Park Service.
By law, the NPS is now required to reinstate each one and must follow the proper regulatory process if it still decides to dismiss them. This includes a sixty-day notice period given to state and local governments.
It’s currently unclear how the Trump administration will respond to the rulings.
Advnture has contacted the NPS for comment and awaits a response.
Alongside the sacking of probationary workers, thousands of temporary National Parks staff also had their job offers rescinded, and many full-time employees took voluntary redundancy.
The cuts are already impacting the American wilderness, forcing the closure of multiple trails and campsites and casting a forboding shadow over the busy summer season.
“Americans love their national parks; these cuts do not have public support,” Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association warned in a recent statement.
“As peak travel season arrives, park visitors will have to contend with closed visitor centers and campgrounds, canceled ranger programs, and less search and rescue staff.”
The cuts have also prompted protests around the country. Thousands have taken to the streets in multiple demonstrations, while outraged climbers at Yosemite showed their displeasure by hanging an upside-down US flag – traditionally a signal of distress.
A record 331.9 million people visited America’s national parks last year to hike, run, and camp in the iconic North American wilderness.
