A Turn to Destruction
As I’m sure many have heard, 1,000 employees of the National Park Service and 2,000 employees of the United States Department of Agriculture, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service have been fired. The N.P.S. is the caretaker agency of the national parks, ensuring that trails are maintained, inform and teach visitors, and perform other vital duties to ensure they run properly. The U.S.F.S. protects millions of acres of national forests and grasslands, helping to protect them from disasters such as wildfires. These firings came as a direct result of the current administration’s process of ‘cutting the size of the federal government.’
These unfortunate employees were dedicated to protecting the rugged natural beauty of the U.S. for future generations as well as for us now. Millions flock to the national parks each year to view such well known naturel monuments as Mount Denali, Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon, among countless others across the country. I believe that people across the growing political divide within this country share in the sentiment that the parks and forests protected by these agencies are important to the nation. Many of these parks date back to the early 20th century, having been created in part by Presdient Theodore Roosevelt, with the oldest dating to 1872 under President Ulysses S. Grant. The national parks help remind us of what greatness the United States has, without the touch of humanity.
The protection of these parks is more than just about the protection of the natural features, but also the fauna found there as well. Yellowstone National Park provides a habitat for the endangered American bison, a powerful symbol of the Great Plains region of the U.S. The N.P.S. provides more than just protection for the landscape. They also manage and run numerous national historic sites, historical parks and national monuments. These include places such as Mount Saint Helens, the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace and Tuskegee Airmen Historic Site. These locations further add to the protected landscapes, as well as locations that are incredibly important to the history of this country. Without protected historic sites, it will be much harder for many to understand and learn about the history of this country.
As a history major, this is something that should not be allowed to happen in this country. I am working to write to my representatives in Congress to counteract this events and I urge others to as well. These firings are not just numbers on a page which makes up a part of the national budget. Rather they are real people who enjoy providing a service to the greater public and world. Without them performing their jobs, there will be challenges to many parks as they come into season, meaning closures and problems will likely abound, causing problems for any who wish to visit.