Fired Employees Fear Yosemite National Park Will Lose Its Luster (Connecting the Dots: The National Park Service, The Commercial Club of Chicago, Latham & Watkins, LLP, Koch Industries & Soros Funding, All Networking)
Newsmax.com
Saturday,
22 February 2025 10:17 AM EST
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/yosemite-national-park/2025/02/22/id/1200077/
Yosemite
National Park employees who recently were fired by the Trump administration
worry cuts will affect the experience of visitors and the welfare of wildlife
that thrive in the popular vacation destination located in California’s Sierra
Nevada.
Yosemite
is home to giant sequoia trees and a haven for myriad wildlife species. El
Capitan, a 3,000-foot (914-meter) wall of sheer granite and possibly the
world’s most fabled rock face, attracts climbers from around the world. Such
majestic qualities also are what attracted people to work at the beloved park
that is a destination for families from California and throughout the country.
The
Trump administration last week fired about 1,000 newly hired National Park Service
employees
who maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and perform other functions as
part of its broad-based effort to downsize government.
Facing
outcry, the administration plans to restore at least 50 jobs across the parks.
The park service also said in a new memo it will hire more seasonal workers
than normal. The park service has about 20,000 employees.
At
least a dozen of those who lost their jobs worked at Yosemite.
Olek
Chmura, a rock climber who moved to California from Ohio and last year took a
job as a custodian at the park, received his letter of termination last week.
He
and another laid-off custodian were the only two who worked his section of the
park and he fears trash will pile up, restrooms won’t be cleaned and
maintenance problems will grow, Chmura said.
“You’d
be amazed with how many diapers I pick up off the side of the road. Beer
bottles, toilet paper, all the stuff so you don’t have to see. You get to see
the park in its true natural beauty,” he said.
Getting
a job at the park was a dream come true because it allowed him to follow his
passion of rock climbing during his time off, Chmura said.
“I
knew the writing was on the wall but, I mean, nothing will just prepare you for
the shock once you get that letter. Because, you know, it’s everything I love.
It’s the park service,” he said. “I mean, our national monuments and parks are
just our greatest treasure, and it just ruined my dream, you know?”
Public
safety also could be at risk since the park’s search and rescue teams have been
impacted by the layoffs, Chmura said.
Other
former employees are concerned with the welfare of wildlife living in the park.
Andria
Townsend was a carnivore specialist with the National Park Service, leading
research on the fisher, a mammal and member of the weasel family, and the
Sierra Nevada red fox, both endangered species.
Townsend
had worked for the park service for more than two decades, but a recent
promotion to a new position labeled her as a probationary employee and her job
was eligible for termination.
She
said she is worried about the future of wildlife in the park, including animals
becoming accustomed to eating garbage left by humans if there is no one to
dispose of it properly.
“Bigger
picture long-term, what does this mean for the state of national parks? What
does this mean for wildlife conservation? It’s really scary,” Townsend said.
“It’s a really uncertain time for those of us who care about conservation and
public lands, so I am definitely worried for the future.”
The
park service says it is reinstating about 5,000 seasonal jobs across numerous
parks that were cut as part of a spending freeze ordered by President Donald
Trump. Seasonal workers are routinely added during the warm-weather months to
serve the millions of visitors who descend on Yosemite each year.
The
uncertainty and confusion has lowered morale among park employees and the
communities surrounding the park, said Ken Yager, who founded the Yosemite
Climbing Association and runs its museum in Mariposa, California, a gateway
city to the park.
“People
around here are pretty depressed," Yager said. "They’re a little
worried about what’s going to happen. How much further is it going to go?”
Connecting
the Dots:
National
Park Service (NPS) is a division of the U.S.
Department of the Interior.
David J. Hayes was
the deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of the Interior and
a partner at Latham & Watkins, LLP.
Bradley C. Faris is
a partner at Latham & Watkins, LLP and an attorney
at Koch Industries.
Timothy P.
FitzSimons is a partner at Latham & Watkins, LLP and
an attorney at Koch Industries.
Mark D. Gerstein is
a partner at Latham & Watkins, LLP and an attorney
at Koch Industries.
Shaun D. Hartley is
a partner at Latham & Watkins, LLP and an attorney
at Koch Industries.
Brad E. Kotler is
a partner at Latham & Watkins, LLP and an attorney
at Koch Industries.
Latham &
Watkins, LLP is Koch Industries law firm.
David H. Koch is
the EVP for Koch Industries and a trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder
for the Aspen Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for
the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Latham &
Watkins, LLP is Koch Industries law firm.
Michael A. Pucker is
a partner at Latham & Watkins, LLP and a Pritzker
Realty Group client.
Penny S. Pritzker is
the chairman for the Pritzker Realty Group, a member of the Commercial
Club of Chicago, the secretary of the U.S. Department of
Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, married
to Bryan Traubert, was the national finance chair,
fundraiser for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a
co-chair for the 2009 Barack Obama inaugural committee, a
fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential
campaign, a contributor for the 2013 Barack Obama inaugural
committee and the host for the Barack Obama fund-raising
dinner, 7/2/2008.
Bryan Traubert is
married to Penny S. Pritzker and a director at the National
Park Foundation.
Ken Salazar was
the chairman for the National Park Foundation and the
secretary at the U.S. Department of the Interior for the Barack
Obama administration.
U.S.
Department of the Interior is a division of the National Park
Service (NPS).
Jonathan B.
Jarvis is a director at the National Park Service (NPS),
and a director at the National Park Foundation.
Robert H. Malott was
a director at the National Park Foundation and a lifetime trustee
at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder
for the Aspen Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote
Open Society.
James S.
Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank),
and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Lester Crown was
a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and is a
member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Valerie B. Jarrett is
a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s
great niece and the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration.
Penny S. Pritzker is
a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and married to Bryan
Traubert.
Bryan Traubert is
married to Penny S. Pritzker and a director at the National
Park Foundation.
Ken Salazar is
the chairman for the National Park Foundation, the interior
secretary for the Barack Obama administration, and was the
secretary for the U.S. Department of the Interior.
National
Park Service is a division of the U.S. Department of the
Interior.
Barack Obama was
the president for the Barack Obama administration and an intern
at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was
a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.
R. Eden Martin is
counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and the president of the Commercial
Club of Chicago.
Penny S. Pritzker is
a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and married to Bryan
Traubert.
Bryan Traubert is
married to Penny S. Pritzker and a director at the National
Park Foundation.
Ken Salazar is
the chairman for the National Park Foundation, the interior
secretary for the Barack Obama administration and was the secretary
for the U.S. Department of the Interior.
National
Park Service is a division of the U.S. Department of the
Interior.
Michael Rossetti was
the counsel to the secretary for the U.S. Department of the Interior
and is a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.
Vernon E. Jordan
Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer &
Feld, LLP, Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle and an
honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution
(think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for
the Brookings Institution (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for
the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Cyrus F.
Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings
Institution (think tank) and a member of the Commercial Club of
Chicago.
Penny S. Pritzker is
a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and married to Bryan
Traubert.
Bryan Traubert is
married to Penny S. Pritzker and a director at the National
Park Foundation.
Ken Salazar is
the chairman for the National Park Foundation, the interior
secretary for the Barack Obama administration and was the secretary
for the U.S. Department of the Interior.
National
Park Service is a division of the U.S. Department of the
Interior.
Resources:
Past Research
Smaller
Bites – National Park Service (NPS) (Connecting the Dots: National Park Service
(NPS), U.S. Department of the Interior, Latham & Watkins, LLP, Obama
Supporter Penny S. Pritzker & Husband Bryan Traubert & Soros Funding,
All Networking) (Past Research on the National Park
Service (NPS))
Saturday,
December 31, 2022
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/12/smaller-bites-national-park-service-nps.html
‘War’:
Vets planning ‘Million Vet March on the Memorials’ against Obama (Past Research on the National Park Service (NPS))
Sunday,
October 13, 2013
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/10/war-vets-planning-million-vet-march-on.html
Emails
Reveal Obama Admin Shut Down WW II Memorial Knowing Vets Were Coming (Past Research on the National Park Service (NPS))
Tuesday,
March 11, 2014
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