WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) helped introduce two bills to address the consequences of recent federal staff cuts at the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The Protect Our Parks Act of 2025 and the Save Our Forests Act of 2025 will fully restore staffing levels at both agencies, ensuring that America’s national parks and forests remain accessible, safe, and well-maintained. This comes on the heels of Senator Smith bringing a fired Park Ranger from Voyageurs National Park to President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress last week.
The Trump administration’s mass firings have led to significant staffing reductions at national parks, including Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota, negatively impacting visitor experiences, safety and park maintenance efforts. They’ve also fired Forest Service workers charged with protecting like Chippewa National Forest and Superior National Forest, which is the largest forest in the country east of the Mississippi River, including workers charged with helping loggers sell timber in ways that protect the future health of our forests.
“National Park Service workers like Park Rangers keep us safe in some of our country’s most wild and extreme areas, including places like Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. U.S. Forest Service workers keep our forest areas healthy and productive, including the largest forest east of the Mississippi River, the Superior National Forest. I’ve met these fired workers, I’ve heard their stories and losing them makes our most cherished wild areas less safe and less cared for,” said Senator Smith. “Elon Musk indiscriminately and illegally fired thousands of the workers meant to keep these areas safe, including Minnesotans who worked with loggers to sell timber in a way that protected the health of our forests and Park Rangers up at Voyageurs. Republicans are risking the longevity of our parks and forests all to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. These bills are commonsense proposals that clarify that Congress – and only Congress – has the power to decide where we spend tax dollars.”
Specifically, the Protect Our Parks Act of 2025 and the Save Our Forests Act of 2025 will:
- Restore staffing levels at the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service to improve visitor experience and ensure the safety and upkeep of public lands.
- Rehire recently terminated employees to address staffing shortages that have led to long entrance wait times and delayed maintenance projects.
- Keep critical projects moving, including those funded under the Great American Outdoors Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.
In addition to Smith, these bills are cosponsored by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
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