Just a month ago, Jessica Fair was living her dream as a historical architect at Valley Forge National Historical Park. Today, she finds herself unemployed, questioning what her future holds.
Fair was among 1,000 National Park Service (NPS) employees dismissed by the Trump administration on February 14, leaving the remaining staff to handle over 85 million acres of cherished parkland. Former Park Service employees in Pennsylvania described the process as chaotic and distressing.
“There was an air of anxiety in the Park Service for the last six weeks, but, maybe naively, we thought we were safe,” said Fair, who lives in Malvern with her family. She had been overseeing significant historical preservation efforts at Valley Forge and Hopewell Furnace, including George Washington’s headquarters at Valley Forge.
Fair’s optimism about job security was shattered on February 14 when she learned through a Washington Post article that the Trump administration planned to terminate 1,000 probationary NPS employees. That afternoon, her supervisor confirmed her termination. Valley Forge lost four employees, and Hopewell Furnace lost one.
Since her layoff, Fair has spoken out about the situation and attended President Trump’s March 4 speech as a guest of U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan. When asked about returning to the NPS if her position were reinstated, Fair expressed uncertainty about working under the current administration.
‘The complete dismantling of the National Park Service’
The mass firing included staff from all 19 sites in Pennsylvania overseen by the NPS. This move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce federal positions across several agencies. The Department of the Interior, which encompasses the NPS, saw 400 U.S. Fish and Wildlife employees and 800 Bureau of Land Management employees dismissed on the same day.
According to a lawsuit filed by 20 Democratic state attorneys general, the firings are illegal. The National Parks Conservation Association is urging the administration to restore the lost jobs.
Scenes of chaos have emerged nationwide, including at Yosemite National Park and Gettysburg National Military Park, following the layoffs. Edward Stierli of the National Parks Conservation Association remarked, “We are seeing the complete dismantling of the National Park Service as an agency.”
In Pennsylvania, fired NPS employees reported low morale and concern over housing. Some had lived in NPS-provided accommodations, now facing homelessness. Anonymity was requested by one former employee fearing retaliation from the administration.
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia also saw cuts, with three out of eleven staff members dismissed. The Trump administration’s actions have left the facility contemplating programming reductions.
“It’s been hell, absolute chaos,” said Alli Pryor, a former museum technician. She questioned the administration’s motives, “If you say you love America, why are you destroying a point of pride for us?”
Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, has stated a goal to traumatize federal workers, according to a video shared last October. “We want to put them in trauma,” Vought said, a sentiment echoed by former NPS employees.
‘The selling off of public lands is a real threat.’
The Trump administration’s cuts may only be the start. Reports indicate further reductions of 30% in NPS payroll. Stierli warned of the potential impact on park operations, stating, “If you lose more staff, then you’re looking at, how are we even going to open the doors to the visitors?”
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, America’s first urban wildlife refuge, faces uncertain futures for its programs. Jaclyn Rhoads of the Friends of Heinz Refuge questioned whether public lands might be sold to private developers.
“It threatens our existence. It threatens our nation,” Rhoads said. “We can’t lose these places. Once we lose them, they’re gone forever.”
The anonymous former NPS employee warned that the destabilization of the Park Service could lead to the loss of national parks, impacting public health and the landscape.
