5,800 Jobs Gone: The Full Story of DOGE Cuts to Public Lands Staff

Significant staff cuts to U.S. public land agencies under President Trump’s administration, including thousands of layoffs from the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management were made.

These reductions, part of a broader federal workforce purge led with input from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have prompted protests, lawsuits from conservation groups like the Sierra Club, and warnings of impacts like reduced park ranger presence, closed facilities, and risks to conservation efforts.

The outdoor industry, including Outdoor Alliance and REI, has raised alarms over threats to recreation access and ongoing plans to review national monuments for energy development. Gear Junkie