{"id":12688,"date":"2017-01-27t20:08:45","date_gmt":"2017-01-27t20:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/federal-hiring-freeze-no-walk-in-the-park-for-the-national-park-service\/"},"modified":"2017-01-27t20:08:45","modified_gmt":"2017-01-27t20:08:45","slug":"federal-hiring-freeze-no-walk-in-the-park-for-the-national-park-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/federal-hiring-freeze-no-walk-in-the-park-for-the-national-park-service\/","title":{"rendered":"federal hiring freeze: no walk in the park for the national park service"},"content":{"rendered":"

by taylor goebel <\/strong><\/p>\n

washington \u2014 the national park service is trying to keep exempt its safety personnel from president donald trump\u2019s 90-day federal hiring freeze, but park advocates and former nps employees worry that without the 10,000 seasonal workers who may be cut through attrition, visitors won\u2019t be safe and parks could suffer environmental and economic hits.<\/p>\n

trump\u2019s signed memorandum<\/a> stated no federal agency can fill vacant positions or create new ones for 90 days, when the office of management and budget will present a long-term plan to reduce the size of federal government, which is less than 2% of the total u.s. labor force.<\/p>\n

national park service officials have been warning that the country\u2019s parks are so understaffed that routine maintenance can\u2019t be done and the safety and enjoyment of park visitors is suffering. they also have pointed to a $12 billion backlog in maintenance projects.<\/p>\n

according to the million-member national parks conservation association, nps had more than 10% fewer employees in 2015 compared with five years earlier, and park staff already have been performing \u201ccollateral duties\u201d beyond their jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cthe nps has 1,700 permanent vacancies that are caught in this freeze,\u201d said maureen finnerty, chair of the coalition to protect america\u2019s national parks. \u201cthat\u2019s 8 to 10% of the (nps) workforce. \u2026 even if you found all the money to put into the backlog, you\u2019re already starting your next backlog unless you provide funds to workers to maintain those facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

during his confirmation hearing, interior secretary nominee rep. ryan zinke said he wants to \u201cprioritize\u201d the backlog. the montana republican also said that one of his immediate tasks would be \u201cto ensure the professionals on the front line, our rangers and field managers, have the right tools, right resources, and flexibility to make the right decisions that give a voice to the people they serve.”<\/p>\n

the park service said in a statement it will work with the department of the interior \u201cto ensure that personnel responsible for the safety and protection of our visitors and park resources are exempt from this hiring freeze.\u201d this exemption proposal would likely include wildland firefighters, but not seasonal employment, which comprises 10,000 workers who nps called \u201ccritical\u201d to \u201cquality and safe experiences\u201d for peak visitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cif the freeze applies to those people, it will have a huge impact on parks\u2019 ability to serve the public,\u201d finnerty said.<\/p>\n

according to finnerty, who is a former superintendent of olympic and everglade national parks, parks have already done a lot of consolidating to cut costs. smaller parks are put under bigger parks, and some administration positions are shared.<\/p>\n

\u201cfurther squeezing is going to be devastating for the organization,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

white house press secretary sean spicer falsely claimed at his first press conference this week that the \u201csqueeze\u201d by attrition \u201ccounters the dramatic expansion of the federal workforce in recent years.\u201d in reality, the federal workforce has remained more or less stagnant since the 1960s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

but national parks are having trouble keeping up with double-digit visitor increases because of a lack of staff; in 2016 for example, zion national park had to accommodate a nearly 18% increase in visitors.<\/p>\n

meanwhile, rogue twitter accounts have sprouted up claiming to unofficially represent different government agencies, including the park service.<\/p>\n

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average sea level is expected to rise 1 – 6 ft before the end of this century @potus<\/a> @realdonaldtrump<\/a> #climatefacts<\/a> #climate<\/a> #science<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 badlands nat’l park (@badlands_nps) january 26, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n