VALLEY VIEW, Ohio — The Trump administration is pressing forward with efforts to reduce federal jobs, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park is already feeling the impact, with more cuts possibly on the horizon.
The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park told News 5 that on Friday, three employees lost their jobs. Since January, the park has been under a hiring freeze, and with the peak season approaching, there's growing concern about the future.
As President Trump’s new policies take effect across national parks nationwide, Deb Yandala, President and CEO of the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, says Ohio is no exception.
“What we do know right now is that three people lost their positions on Friday, and those positions are now gone. There's a hiring freeze,” said Yandala.
Since late January, the park has frozen 40 seasonal positions. Then, on Friday, the layoffs began. Yandala said a biologist, a maintenance worker, and someone in planning were all let go.
“They all received the emails that went out to federal employees offering deferred opportunity to leave,” said Yandala.
This all comes just ahead of the park’s busiest season.
Every year, Cuyahoga Valley sees over two million visitors, but during the warmer months, the numbers are even higher.
“I think what maybe folks don't understand is national parks have had budget limitations for years. We have chronically underfunded our national parks, and so losing now key staff positions, just at the same time that that we're seeing more and more visitation to our national parks. This is a problem locally and across the country,” said Yandala.
The cuts are part of Trump’s broader efforts to reduce the size of government by offering voluntary resignations, freezing new hires, and instituting widespread layoffs.
“It’s a big, tremendous saving for, I mean, we want to downsize government, but make it better, run it better, but downsize,” Trump said when addressing the plan to reduce federal jobs.
However, Yandala warns that freezing seasonal hiring and potentially making further cuts could severely impact the park’s operations.
“I get very concerned about keeping the appropriate maintenance of our facilities and of our grounds, protecting natural resources, serving the visitors. It's, it's very disheartening right now,” said Yandala.
Yandala added that even if seasonal workers are brought back, the park is already two months behind in hiring. While awaiting the next steps, they’ll continue doing their best to serve visitors and are always looking for volunteers to lend help.
