Acadia National Park, Maine
In her latest efforts to push back against the early actions of the new Trump administration, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree is raising concern about how a federal hiring freeze could jeopardize Maine’s crown jewel.
Pingree, a ranking member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee, sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum asking him to immediately resume seasonal hiring for the National Park Service to prevent financial ramifications. She said the seasonal workforce is essential for safely and successfully operating the parks that bring more than 325 million visitors annually, including Acadia National Park.
“Seasonal hiring must resume immediately or the damage to national parks and the economies of their gateway communities will be widespread,” she goes on to say in the letter.
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump issued a memo prohibiting any vacant federal positions from being filled and barring the creation of any new federal positions. The memo lists an exemption for military personnel for the armed forces and other positions related to immigration enforcement, national security or public safety.
Seasonal workers at national parks are vital to parks by collecting entrance fees, maintaining visitor amenities such as campsites and bathrooms, providing education and more, Pingree explained in her letter.
The Democrat who represents Maine’s 1st Congressional District said an exemption to allow for the hiring of National Park law enforcement, reported by Washington Post, is an important first step, but more must be done to prevent fiscal consequences.
National parks brought in nearly $500 million in entrance fees in the last fiscal year, Pingree said, adding that Acadia alone brings in roughly $12 million.
Acadia is one of the top 10 most visited national parks with four million annual visits, according to the park service website. Visitors can pay $70 for an annual pass or $20 to $35 for a standard pass.
However, those fees will go uncollected without seasonal fee collectors in place.
As a member of the subcommittee responsible for funding the National Park Service, Pingree said she is “acutely aware of the ongoing challenge to provide sufficient resources for the parks.”
Last fiscal year, $2.9 billion was allocated to operate the park system, but Pingree’s letter says that would need to increase by another half a billion dollars if no one is there to collect entrance fees. She argues this ultimately will increase costs for taxpayers and add to the federal deficit.
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