How cutting National Park Service jobs could affect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Posted by author February 19, 2025 Jobs

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GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) – As staffing reductions across government agencies continues, the Valentine’s Day weekend marked the reduction of workers inside the National Park Service.

The first round of cuts was nearly 1,000 jobs across the country, many of them being people on probationary status.

WVLT News reached out the Great Smoky Mountains National Park who could not comment, and directed WVLT News to the National Park Service for comment, but they did not respond.

The USA Jobs portal, where people apply for jobs in the Federal Government, did not list any open positions in Gatlinburg, or the GSMNP.

Tuesday, WVLT News spoke with Phil Francis, the executive council chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.

Francis served the park service for more than 40 years, retiring in 2013 and joining the coalition in 2014.

“Less likely to encounter a park ranger, you’re going to see more damage that can’t be repaired because we have inadequate staff, more garbage, restrooms may not be clean. Places like the Blue Ridge Parkway, where you have 14 visitor centers, are more likely to be closed,“ Francis told WVLT News referring to what would suffer in parks across the country if the cuts were significant.

Francis emphasized the risk of cutting positions could put the future of national parks at risk.

“You get great people who really want to be there, they want to tell the country’s story, but if you fire those people, that institutional memory is going to go away. There’s going to be a gap,” said Francis. “People aren’t even going to apply.”

Francis told WVLT News the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has lost 20% of its work force in 15 years, despite seeing the park grow to welcoming in nearly 14 million people a year.

He added morale inside the park is at its lowest possibly ever and encourages people to thank park workers for their dedication and work.