Six employees let go from NPS Outer Banks Group; Possible changes from future layoffs remain unclear

Following the February dismissal of approximately 1,000 National Park Service (NPS) employees nationwide, coupled with a February 26 memo from the Office of Personnel Management on the National Workplace Optimization Initiative, questions remain as to how the NPS Outer Banks Group could be impacted in the future.

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.

“I have no information on what kinds of positions were cut,” said Wade in an email to SamWalkerOBXNews.com. “NPS has been given authority to hire up to 7,700 seasonal positions this summer. That’s good news, but the effort needed (paperwork for hiring, background checks for some, training, housing), all required between now and when the heavy-use season begins makes it unlikely that all those seasonals will be on board before the beginning [of the summer.]

“So, visitors might see some impacts regarding visitor center hours/days, ranger-led programs, custodial issues, etc., at least at the beginning of the season – and then after the seasonals leave, there will be a return to the understaffed parks resulting from the recent terminations.”

David Hallac, Superintendent of the Outer Banks Group, was unable to comment on next steps, stating in an email to the Island Free Press that “We do not discuss personnel matters.”

However, there is some guidance on what to expect in the form of past government shutdowns, previous government-wide reductions in force (RIF) initiatives, and educated speculation from former NPS leaders.

The memo regarding large-scale layoffs in federal agencies

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.

In the most recent Feb. 26 memo, federal agency heads have new guidelines on how to reduce staff and costs even further.

“The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt. At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public. Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hardworking American citizens,” reads the memo.

“On February 11, 2025, President Trump’s Executive Order Implementing The President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative (Workforce Optimization) ‘commence[d] a critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.’ It directed agencies to ‘eliminat[e] waste, bloat, and insularity’ in order to ‘empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself.’

“President Trump required that ‘Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law.’ President Trump also directed that, no later than March 13, 2025, agencies develop Agency Reorganization Plans.”

In essence, agency heads will need to submit a plan for large-scale reductions in force, although there is not a specified number or percentage of employees that should be terminated.

Instead, the submitted plans will focus on the “maximum elimination” of functions not required by law, according to the new guidance issued on Wednesday by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell T. Vought, and Office of Personnel Management Acting Director Charles Ezell.

According to this guidance, as a starting point for the cuts, agencies should focus on employees whose jobs are not required in statute, and who would typically face furloughs in government shutdowns—which is around one-third of the federal workforce, or roughly 700,000 employees.

How the Outer Banks Group and Cape Hatteras National Seashore could be impacted

While current NPS Outer Banks Group personnel cannot comment on the ongoing situation, Mike Murray of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks has some insight into what could change, based on his 34 years of experience in the NPS, which includes serving as the Superintendent of the Outer Banks Group from 2005 to 2012.

“I do not have specific information about the staffing losses at Cape Hatteras National Seashore or the Outer Banks Group, and do not know exactly how the park plans to deal with those losses. I can speak in general terms about what we are seeing with regard to staffing losses across the NPS, and how some parks are dealing with those losses in terms of reduced park operations and visitor services,” said Murray.

He notes that the late-in-the-season start to enlist summertime hires may pose challenges and delays in services provided by the seasonal workforce, and that the dismissal of roughly 1,000 probationary employees, in addition to early retirements and resignations, has resulted in an estimated 10% reduction in the NPS workforce nationwide.

“What is challenging for park management about the current situation is that the staffing losses have occurred in a very short period of time and are completely indiscriminate without regard to the workload or importance of the work performed by any of the positions that have become vacant,” he said, referring to the recent round of layoffs that targeted new hires within the past two years.

“In other words, some jobs are quite technical or specialized, may have only one employee performing those duties, and yet may be essential to the park operation. Other jobs may be more general in nature and have multiple employees performing those duties, and loss of a few of those positions may have less impact than loss of a one-of-a-kind position.”

In addition, while the NPS can hire a new full-time employee if needed, four employees will need to be let go to justify the new hire.

“In general, Cape Hatteras NS and the Outer Banks Group parks are undoubtedly affected by the sudden, significant loss in staffing, just as many parks across the system are being affected,” said Murray. “It is inevitable that parks will need to reduce or eliminate some services and programs. However, each park will need to determine what services and programs it can continue to provide with the available staffing.”

As for the upcoming RIF initiative, it’s a situation where potential impacts and changes will likely not be clear until they are imminent or already in place.

Per the Feb 26 memo, the principles that inform the upcoming Agency RIF and Reorganization Plan include the following.

1. Better service for the American people
2. Increased productivity
3. A significant reduction in the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions by eliminating positions that are not required
4. A reduced real property footprint
5. Reduced budget topline.

“Pursuant to the President’s direction, agencies should focus on the maximum elimination of functions that are not statutorily mandated while driving the highest-quality, most efficient delivery of their statutorily-required functions,” reads the memo.

In the NPS realm, the specific terminology of “statutorily-required” can cause some confusion as to what can, will, and should be eliminated in terms of park positions.

“Many of the visitor services and programs offered by NPS are ‘authorized’ but not ‘required’ under applicable laws,” said Murray. “In other words, the NPS has the authority and discretion to determine which visitor services and programs to provide… Elimination of all authorized but not statutorily-required visitor service functions and park operations could result in the closure of numerous park facilities, and the elimination of the majority of programs and services provided to park visitors.”

“I can imagine a RIF of that magnitude could easily double the number of NPS workforce losses already caused by the other measures,” he added. “At parks like the Outer Banks Group, the total number of employees lost could be as much as 40% or more of the currently authorized staffing level, equating to 40-50 or more employees on the Outer Banks, which would be disastrous for park operations, park staff, park visitors, and the local communities.”

An aggressive layoff scenario could include the closure of campgrounds and visitors’ centers, the termination of varying NPS services like home collapse clean-ups, park programs, or Bodie Island Lighthouse climbing, and the potential closure of some or all off-road vehicle (ORV) ramps.

The template for this more aggressive layoff scenario is historic government shutdowns, such as the one in 2013 where only essential personnel were employed.

In 2013, all visitor facilities closed, and ORV ramps were chained off and patrolled by NPS law enforcement personnel. (Law enforcement positions are excluded when it comes to layoffs in the RIF, so if future beach closures are necessary, the NPS will be able to ensure they are enforced.)

During a 35-day government shutdown in 2018, however, ORV ramps remained open, although new ORV permit purchases were not available.

This extreme scenario is unlikely, according to several former NPS employees, and in this latest RIF directive, the federal agencies do have input in the path ahead.

“At least in the reduction in force, the park has a say,” said Murray. “It’s going to be based on their judgement on what they could possibly be without. At least there will be some local input as to what is contained within the plan, because so far, the eliminations have been indiscriminate and random.”

“Government-wide RIFs are relatively rare,” added Murray. “I am aware only two that occurred during my career between 1978 and 2012. One occurred during the 1980s under the Reagan administration, and another occurred during the 1990s under the Clinton administration. I recall that the latter RIF had major operational impacts at the large park where I was working at the time. The park ended up closing 20% of its campgrounds for the season, and length-of-season and operating hours for many other visitor facilities and programs were significantly reduced.”

There are other options to reduce federal expenses while maintaining essential services too, such as the fourth principle in the Agency RIF and Reorganization Plan, which is “a reduced real property footprint.”

Depending on how this principle is clarified or defined in the future, park lands within the Outer Banks Group could potentially be sold to private developers or companies, which could result in a significant financial boost for the federal government’s budget.

During his confirmation hearing, Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior, explained that the nation’s parks, public lands and natural resources are assets on the nation’s balance sheet, and speculated that federal lands could be worth as much as $200 trillion. At a February signing ceremony for the new Sovereign Wealth Fund Plan, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained how the plan could be funded, stating “We are going to monetize the asset side of the U.S. balance sheet for the American people. We are going to put the assets to work.”

Again, how all three Outer Banks National Parks will be impacted by the RIF and future initiatives is speculative. However, based on the responses and actions so far in other national parks around the country, it’s highly probable that some changes will be noticeable.

Visitors’ centers may have reduced hours, or be closed one or more days per week. Interpretive programs will likely be reduced, or will rely on volunteers. NPS clean-up responses to future home collapses could be delayed, or less robust. Restrooms and public facilities may not be open, cleaned, or maintained as often.

ORV ramps may be open, but bird and sea turtle nesting closures may last a little longer or be expanded, based on several factors. These factors include the availability of park rangers who can regularly uphold the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 36—Parks, Forests, and Public Property, (which states that disturbing wildlife during nesting, breeding, or other activities is prohibited), as well as the availability of biotechnicians who are required by law to provide constant monitoring.

The 2012 ORV management plan allows for beach driving and buffer areas during nesting seasons, (like the annual Cape Point Corridor), as long as there is intensive monitoring in place, which means monitoring every day.

“If they can’t check the beach in the morning, then they should not open or reopen the beach to driving,” said Murray. “There are laws that must be followed, like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act, and if the park knowingly allows driving to occur in locations that haven’t been monitored during the nesting season, then they may be subjected to legal action.”

RIF directives could certainly be revised in the coming weeks as the paths ahead for federal agencies – and how these paths can best align with the administration’s budget-reduction goals – become clearer.

Also, while it may be determined that some NPS Outer Banks Group services should be reduced or eliminated, CHNS is renowned as a driving economic force for the state and federal economies. In a 2023 NPS report, it was determined that 20,084,660 visitors to national parks in North Carolina spent $2.48 billion in 2022, with a cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy of $50.3 billion. Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s 2.86 million visitors generated an estimated $642 million of that total.

“Eastern North Carolina is blessed with a beautiful environment that we treasure, guard fiercely, and wish to share with others,” said Congressman Greg Murphy in an email to the Island Free Press. “I am committed to ensuring our National Park Service functions as efficiently as possible, and my office is in contact with NPS regarding the recruitment status of seasonal workers for the summer season.”

In the meantime, it’s helpful to understand that changes could occur for CHNS facilities and services in the coming weeks, although there is no way to know just yet when and how these changes will take shape.