The "Protect our Parks Act of 2025" mandates full staffing for the National Park Service, reinstates certain previously terminated employees, and ensures the continuation of authorized park projects.
Mark Kelly
Senator
AZ
The "Protect Our Parks Act of 2025" aims to ensure the National Park Service (NPS) is fully staffed to enhance visitor safety, enjoyment, and resource protection by filling all vacant positions, including maintenance roles, using existing funds. It also requires the reinstatement of employees involuntarily removed from service earlier in 2025. Furthermore, the Act allows the NPS to continue projects already authorized and funded through various existing laws.
Protect Our Parks Act Mandates Full Staffing for National Parks, Reinstates Workers, and Secures Project Funding
The "Protect our Parks Act of 2025" sets a clear directive for the National Park Service (NPS): get fully staffed. This legislation requires the Secretary of the Interior to use existing funds to fill all necessary positions across National Park System units, aiming to boost visitor safety, enjoyment, and the protection of natural resources. It specifically calls out the need to fill all maintenance staff positions within the Service.
Boots on the Ground: Restoring Park Capacity
The core of this bill is Section 3, which tackles staffing head-on. The mandate isn't just about hiring; it's about achieving full staffing levels needed for the parks to operate effectively. For anyone who's visited a park recently and noticed overflowing bins, closed facilities, or limited ranger interactions, this aims to address that. The requirement to fill all maintenance positions, using funds already allocated, means potentially seeing quicker repairs on trails, better-kept campgrounds, and cleaner facilities – the kind of upkeep that directly impacts your park experience.
A Second Chance for Some Staff
Interestingly, the bill also includes a specific provision for personnel. It directs the Secretary to reinstate individuals who were involuntarily removed from NPS employment during a tight window: between January 20, 2025, and February 25, 2025. This suggests a move to correct potential staffing disruptions that occurred during that specific five-week period, bringing experienced personnel back into the fold.
Keeping Improvements on Track
Beyond staffing, Section 4 ensures that ongoing park projects don't hit unnecessary roadblocks. It allows the Secretary of the Interior to continue work on NPS projects as long as they have authorization or funding under major existing laws. This includes initiatives funded by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (think fee-funded projects), the Great American Outdoors Act (tackling deferred maintenance), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and Public Law 117-169 (the Inflation Reduction Act, which included conservation funding). Essentially, if a project like a major trail restoration or a visitor center upgrade was already approved and funded through these channels, this bill gives it the green light to proceed without interruption.