How Many National Park Employees has Michigan Lost?

Crowdsourced spreadsheet tracks the National Park Service February 14 firings nationwide

Photo: Members of Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, presented members of the National Park Service in Isle Royale with a lifesaving award Sept. 13, 2016, for their efforts which led to the rescue of two girls earlier in the year. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

A crowd-sourced spreadsheet tracking the recent mass terminations of National Park Service (NPS) employees has revealed the impact on Michigan’s national parks. The firings, which took place on February 14, 2025, were part of a broader reduction affecting more than 1,000 employees across over 430 NPS units and regional offices.

Breadth of U.S. National Parks

The National Park Service manages 433 units, which are commonly referred to as parks. These units span more than 85 million acres across the United States, the District of Columbia, and US territories. 

The National Park System includes many different types of units, including national parks, national monuments, national battlefields, national seashores, national historical sites, and national scenic trails. 

Spreadsheet Tracking of Staff Reductions

The spreadsheet was compiled by an anonymous seasonal park ranger. Axios shared a copy accounting for a total of 756 terminations thus far. The data has been widely shared through social media accounts such as “National Park Diaries” on Instagram and Threads.

While the National Park Service has yet to confirm the total number of employees affected, the spreadsheet continues to be updated by volunteers tracking developments across the country.

Michigan National Parks Impacted

Michigan is home to six national park units, which have not been spared from the nationwide reductions. According to the spreadsheet, the following Michigan parks experienced staff terminations:

• Isle Royale National Park – 1 employee
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – 2 employees
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore – 2 employees
• River Raisin National Battlefield Park – Unknown
• Keweenaw National Historical Park – Unknown
• North Country National Scenic Trail (This trail runs through Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin) – 1 employee

Broader Impact on the National Park Service

Some of the hardest-hit national parks nationwide include Everglades National Park and Shenandoah National Park, each losing 15 employees, while Carlsbad Caverns lost 14 employees. Rocky Mountain National Park lost 12 employees and Grand Canyon National Park lost 10.

It’s important to keep in mind the information is crowdsourced from a large group of people and is likely incomplete. The National Park Service firing data was compiled from reports shared by numerous park employees and workers in online groups rather than being an official government record.

Park officials have not provided an official statement regarding the full implications of the cuts, but visitors may experience reduced services, fewer ranger-led programs, and possible delays in maintenance and emergency response.

Visitors planning trips to Michigan’s national parks are encouraged to check for potential changes in operating hours, services, and ranger availability as the parks adjust to reduced staffing levels.