The six probationary rangers at Joshua Tree National Park that were part of the mass terminations that hit the National Park Service in mid-February have been confirmed to be back on the job, according to a source inside the Park. The Rangers were part of thousands of indiscriminate cuts across the department of interior, hitting most national parks as they ramped up to warmer weather and larger visitation numbers. At Joshua Tree National Park, the terminations were felt immediately at the busy west gate where less rangers meant a longer wait for visitors to get inside the park, as well as less “boots on the ground” in the nearly 800,000 acres of open and explorable desert.
Two federal judges called the firings illegal and handed down orders in March that the probationary employees should be rehired.
While the probationary rangers are back at the park, public lands and federal employees aren’t out of the proverbial woods yet. The National Parks Conservation Association says that a reduction in force is still being applied to national parks, and that Joshua Tree National Park was already understaffed when it was hit with the terminations.
The national park has consistently seen visitation numbers hit peaks of over 3 million people a year, and with spring-like weather making an early appearance in March, most of the hi-desert has already got a taste of what the busiest season could look like this year.
Our source inside the park says that most federal employees are “trying to keep a low profile” and that many people are stepping up to support conservation efforts and movement outside of the park.
Public lands and their advocates remain on high-alert in our area, with the nascent Chuckwalla National Monument possibly in President Trump’s crosshairs. The over 600,000 acres of Coachella Valley land was designated as protected by President Biden in his final days in office, which kept it on the shortlist for retaliatory measures by the incoming administration. It was one of two new National Monuments in California that briefly made an appearance on a “fact sheet” published by the administration, which has since been removed.
Previously planned projects in Joshua Tree continue to move forward, such as the long-in-the-works new West Gate entrance in Joshua Tree. The entrance area will be closed next week from Monday April 7th to Thursday, April 10th for construction, but will be reopened by Friday.
