Organizations send letter to NPS Deputy Director asking for reinstatement of fired employees

The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and the Association of Park Rangers sent a letter on March 3 to Acting National Park Service (NPS) Director Jessica Bowron to initiate action in order to reinstate probationary employees who were recently fired.

Bill Wade, Executive Director of the Association of National Park Rangers, confirmed that six employees had been let go from the Outer Banks Group during the initial layoffs of NPS employees. The Outer Banks Group includes three parks: the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS), Fort Raleigh Historic Site, and the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Because the layoffs targeted probationary employees – or employees that had worked for the NPS for two years or less – and not specified positions, it is unknown which jobs have been vacated.

To date, an estimated 1,000-2,000 jobs have been removed from the NPS, due to the dismissal of probationary employees, as well as employees who took advantage of the federal government’s resignation offers. Additional NPS employees, including an estimated eight NPS personnel in national or regional leadership positions, have also retired early.

More information on the most recent Feb. 26 memo about future federal layoffs can be found here.

The letter from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and Association of Park Rangers can be found here, and is also below.

“Dear Acting NPS Director Bowron,

As the CEOs of our respective non-profit organizations, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and the Association of National Park Rangers, we have been closely following the recent decision to terminate probationary employees from the NPS.

Our organizations currently have over 4000 members, including current NPS employees, retirees and volunteers. They have expressed deep concern for these employees and for the impacts to park programs and visitors that would result from these terminations.

We are aware that the termination of probationary employees was found to be illegal, both by the Office of Special Counsel/Merit Systems Protection Board and by U.S. District Judge William Alsup. However, these decisions did not include a requirement to reinstate those fired and the decision to do that is apparently le[ up to the agencies.

We appeal to you, in the strongest terms, to initiate action to reinstate all of those employees who were the victims of the illegal firing. Not only would this be the fair thing to do for the employees themselves, but it would eliminate the impacts to park visitors and NPS programs that would result from these firings. It would also help restore public confidence in the NPS’s responsibilities to properly manage and care for the national park system.

Please do the right thing for the terminated employees and for the National Park Service.

Respectfully,

Rick Mossman
President
Association of National Park Rangers

Phil Francis
Chair, Executive Council
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks”