Virginia Senators Sound Alarm About National Park Staffing Shortages
Public safety positions may be exempt from hiring freeze
LURAY, Va. — Two Virginia Senators recently wrote to newly-confirmed U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to immediately take action to resolve looming staffing shortages at the National Park Service (NPS).
According to a February 10, 2025 media release, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) wrote to Burgum following President Trump’s hiring freeze, cancellation of thousands of job offers for seasonal NPS employees, and buyout offers.
The full text of the letter can be found here and below:
Dear Secretary Burgum:
We urge you to immediately reissue seasonal employment offers for the National Park Service, officially rescind damaging and short-sighted deferred resignation and early retirement offers, and to instead work to safeguard, grow, and shape the National Park Service workforce to meet the needs of our national parks and their visitors.
We are alarmed that the National Park Service revoked employment offers for seasonal staff for the upcoming summer season.
Incoming seasonal staff – whose work is critical to managing the influx of visitors during the summer “peak season” – had offers in their hands that were yanked away just days after the inauguration.