Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Trump officials try to hide record park visitation
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Friday, March 7, 2025
Visitors take in sunset at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park; NPS/Flickr ([link removed])
After firing 1,000 National Park Service employees and wreaking havoc on the agency's seasonal hiring process, the Trump administration is now attempting to hide ([link removed]) the fact that national parks saw record visitation in 2024.
America’s national parks saw over 331 million visits ([link removed]) last year, around 1 million more visits than the previous record, set in 2016. But an internal memo went out to Park Service employees on Wednesday telling them not to publicize visitor numbers, according to reporting by the New York Times ([link removed]) .
The internal memo said the agency would “not issue a press release or other proactive communications, including social media posts” regarding the numbers. Individual parks could make visitor numbers public if directly asked for them, it said ([link removed]) . The data is, however, also posted online ([link removed]) .
Meanwhile, parks across the country are struggling to prepare for the upcoming tourist season. In Utah, where the busy season is already underway, former park superintendents say ([link removed]) the Trump administration's dismissals of full time employees and mixed messaging over seasonal hiring will inevitably impact visitors' experiences. “People should expect long lines, and restrooms aren’t going to be clean," warned Sue Fritzke ([link removed]) , former superintendent of Capitol Reef National Park.
Stand Up For Science today
Stand Up For Science rallies will happen across the country ([link removed]) today in response to the Trump administration’s actions like funding freezes and firings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Institutes of Health, which threaten scientific progress. Center for Western Priorities Deputy Director Aaron Weiss is scheduled to speak about science and public lands at the rally in Denver ([link removed]) . Not in Denver? Find your local event here ([link removed]) .
** Quick hits
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Trump property purge to include national park visitor centers, museums
Washington Post ([link removed])
An anti-wolf group’s map indicates Colorado is unfit for the animals. It’s full of inaccuracies
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Wildfire-fighting nonprofits are stopping work as federal grants vanish
E&E News ([link removed])
They used to run Utah’s national parks. Trump’s mass firings are ‘a really big deal,’ they say.
Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
Forest Service braces for up to 7,000 layoffs
E&E News ([link removed])
Losing more than a Forest Service job
High Country News ([link removed])
This biologist led efforts to save endangered black-footed ferrets. Trump fired her last month
Colorado Public Radio ([link removed])
Butterflies in the US are disappearing at a ‘catastrophic’ rate
Washington Post ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” The value of parks in rural America, in red and blue states, is absolutely massive... Millions and millions and millions of dollars come into local economies because of people coming…in from all over the world to see these places we’re lucky to have.”
—Walt Dabney ([link removed]) , former superintendent of Arches and Canyonlands national parks
** Picture This
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@mypubliclands ([link removed])
Beauty on public lands is vast, diverse, and awe-inspiring. Towering mountain peaks pierce the sky, their snow-capped summits glistening in the setting sun. The sky transforms into a breathtaking canvas of fiery oranges, deep reds, and soft purples, blending seamlessly as the last light of day lingers.
📸 Snow covered mountains at sunset near Bishop, California; Michael Carroll
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