Top management positions in National Parks are being hurriedly filled, though a potential solution could lead to additional vacancies

The National Park Service (NPS) has launched an initiative called "Operation Opportunity" to fill top-level leadership positions at various park locations. An Interior Department spokesperson stated that the department is thrilled to be posting and filling new positions at national parks, and that this administration is committed to expanding the workforce and investing in the parks.

The urgency of the directive to post the park leadership positions reflects a newfound pressure to fill the roles. Due to a governmentwide hiring freeze, these positions are only open to internal applicants within the Interior Department. Among the open positions are the superintendents for the National Parks of Big Bend, Glacier Bay, and White Sands, the deputy superintendent for Glacier and Indiana Dunes, and the chief of facilities at Yosemite.

The list of open positions also includes top openings at a myriad of additional national historic and other NPS sites, such as Martin Luther King National Historic Park in Atlanta. The number of vacancies among the top ranks at parks is expected to grow once those who accepted "deferred resignations" are officially off the rolls. If they are accepted into the positions, their existing roles would then become vacant. As of last month, NPS had onboarded just 3,300 seasonal employees out of a pledged 7,700 for the peak summer season, with seasonal staff initially subject to the hiring freeze.

The agency is expected to lay off around 1,500 employees if the Supreme Court allows the Trump administration to move forward with its planned reductions in force. However, Burgum, the Director of the National Park Service, has insisted that the cuts will not impact park operations and has demanded that no park can reduce its hours or services without headquarters approval.

Recently, Burgum faced criticism during congressional testimony. Theresa Pierno, NPCA's president, accused Burgum of being dishonest in his testimony, stating that the Park Service is in a full-blown staffing crisis. Pierno pointed out that NPS staffing was down 13% overall since President Trump took office. Burgum, however, reiterated that layoffs would not affect parks and said superintendent openings were being filled on a temporary basis.

The source familiar with the initiative noted that seasonal hiring has been hampered by Trump administration policies. Despite these challenges, the National Parks Conservation Association is hopeful that Operation Opportunity will help fill the top-level leadership positions and ensure the continued protection and preservation of our national parks.

Top management positions in National Parks are being hurriedly filled, though a potential solution could lead to additional vacancies