The recent Trump Administration terminations of vast numbers of Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) employees are causing concern for many reasons, not only to those fired, but also for the tens of millions of Americans who enjoy and utilize public lands each year. One key group impacted by the terminations is the law enforcement ranks, who protect both the lands and the public who utilize them. With understaffing of law enforcement officers and rangers already a severe problem, the new wave of terminations is exacerbating under-enforcement into crisis status.
The Numbers
Since February 14th of this year, approximately 2,300 DOI employees have been terminated, including approximately 800 Bureau of Land Management, 420 Fish and Wildlife Service, and 1,000 National Park Service employees. Additionally, approximately 2,700 employees resigned due to the “deferred resignation” campaign. Also, 3,400 USFS employees were terminated. Source, Source. Beyond those initial waves of terminations, upcoming massive reductions in force (RIFs) and continuing retirement incentive programs should lead to tens of thousands more departing DOI and USFS. While the actual percentages of the terminations and resignations consisting of law enforcement officers have not been disclosed, they have come at a time when law enforcement units for public lands were already stretched to the breaking point.
From 2016 to 2020, an 18.3% decrease in law enforcement officers working for DOI and the USFS took place. This includes a 26.1% decrease in National Park Service Rangers, a 7.9% decrease in Park Police, and a 24.1% decrease in Fish and Wildlife Service officers. While there was a 2.4% increase in Bureau of Land Management officers, this increase only reflected an additional six officers. Source.
The National Park Service alone shows a story of serious decline. From 2010 to 2023, the number of law enforcement positions declined nationally by almost half, with more than a quarter (27%) reduction from just 2021 through 2023. The agency’s traditional reliance upon seasonal and temporary rangers for peak periods has largely disappeared, with only 43 such slots remaining in 2023, compared with 323 just two years prior and as many as 825 back in 2010. Similarly, National Park Service Special Agents, i.e., plainclothes investigators assigned to complex cases, are down sharply with only 30 remaining nationwide. Source.
These decreases had already led to understaffed units, even before the 2025 terminations. According to a GAO report, in fiscal year 2018, there was excessive strain on law enforcement officers throughout DOI and USFS, with the following ratios: Source.
- 1,262,887 acres per Bureau of Land Management law enforcement officer
- 649,351 acres per Fish and Wildlife Service officer
- 462,830 acres per USFS officer
- 63,958 acres per National Park Service officer
Effects on Public Lands
These terrible cuts affect those remaining few who dedicate their careers to protecting our public lands and visitors to them. According to a 2023 DOI report, 41% of officers singled out increased staffing as the top priority resource needed to support their safety. Additionally, 64% of officers said that staffing levels had a major impact on officer safety. Source.
Less law enforcement means more illegal logging, more fish and game poaching, more crimes against visitors, and less resource protection. Federal enforcement officers are needed to build coordinated relationships with neighboring local and state agencies, as well as the public. They share information about potential threats. They develop plans and do agency trainings to promote law compliance in a safe manner. They are easily recognizable figures for visitors who need help. Source.
The Trump Administration terminations within an already chronically understaffed sector of the federal workforce endanger public land visitors and put the remaining law enforcement officers themselves at greater risk, because teamwork is vital to successful enforcement.
There are already concerns as we head towards the summer season. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is discouraging outdoor recreation on its website due to lack of staff and resulting safety concerns, having lost at least 12 employees. Source. 4,000 USFS campsites are slated to be closed in California alone. Source. This is just the beginning.
Many are looking back to the 2019 35-day federal government shutdown, when public lands were reduced to skeleton staffs. There was no lack of destruction: Joshua trees were cut down, off-road vehicles drove through sensitive areas, and graffiti, vandalism, and general lawlessness increased. Such damage can last for years, negatively affecting wildlife, water sources, and the overall visitor experience. Source.
This is just a preview of what our public lands may look like this summer. Law enforcement officers are essential for the public to be able to enjoy and make lifelong memories in our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and other lands. Without them, we can expect a very different landscape.
Madison Williams is a PEER law clerk and a first-year student at the UNC School of Law.
Peter Jenkins is PEER’s senior counsel.
