President Donald Trump's hiring freeze is preventing most federal agencies from filling any civilian positions that were vacant on January 20. That includes open ranger jobs at Shenandoah National Park. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
Shenandoah National Park's 1.5 million annual visitors come to the Blue Ridge Mountains to enjoy Skyline Drive, hiking trails, waterfalls, and clear night skies. But if the federal hiring freeze remains in effect for the National Park Service, it could prevent or delay seasonal park rangers from being stationed there this year. The government's employment website lists 12 open positions in Shenandoah for park rangers specializing in preventative search and rescue. Their anticipated start date was mid-May.
ED STIERLI: This has prevented parks like Shenandoah from hiring critical positions needed. Not just in terms of … educational park rangers, but maintenance and labor positions. Fire and safety positions have been held up.
Ed Stierli is the mid-Atlantic regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonprofit advocacy organization.
STIERLI: You know, we really want to see … this administration issue an exemption to the National Park Service. … Parks play a unique role, and they rely upon these workers to be able to make sure that visitors can get into the park, have a quality visitor experience, are safe, have clean restrooms and learn about America's natural and cultural resources.
Shenandoah National Park did not respond to our questions about their open positions. Another White House action that could impact local lands is Trump's order to pause federal grant funding – which he rescinded after a federal judge temporarily blocked the action. That could have included programs such as the National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program. The Winchester Star reported in 2023 that the grant program awarded $3.9 million to the preservation of two Civil War battlefields in Frederick County.
