Cuts to US national parks and forests spark outrage

Employees who maintained America's most wild places say they are concerned for public safety and for wildlife.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersCuts to national parks and forests met with backlash10 hours agoShareSaveMax MatzaBBC NewsReporting fromSeattle, WashingtonShareSaveGetty ImagesThe Trump administration's steep cuts to staff at national parks, forests and wildlife habitats have triggered a growing backlash, as public access and conservation efforts in these remote wild landscapes fade away.

The impacts have already been felt by visitors - who are seeing longer park entrance lines, reduced hours at visitor centres, trails closed and dirty public facilities - and workers who not only are worried about their futures as their jobs vanish, but also the state of these outdoor marvels eroding.

Each season, Kate White and her team typically carry 600lbs (270kg) of litter on their backs out of the Enchantments, a sensitive alpine wilderness located in Washington state that welcomes over 100,000 visitors a year.

Remote and often covered in snow and ice, staff are needed to maintain backcountry toilets that must be serviced with helicopters, which Ms White says may overflow without proper maintenance.

"I'm not totally sure what the plan is to get that done," she says.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx7kez4vx2o

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