A majority of the Civil War related sites are held by the National Park Service (NPS). Sites including Fort Sumter, Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Illinois, Bull Run, Gettysburg, and Appomattox are with the jurisdiction of the NPS. After massive cuts to the NPS budget and the reduction in the size of the workforce at the parks last year, a sense of foreboding has occupied those of us who use the parks as well as the staff of the sites. Today the Washington Post announced that “The Trump administration is considering a major reorganization of the National Park Service according to internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post.” The documents point to a major reorganization but, says the Post, “the documents do not specify whether certain offices would be closed or moved, or whether any employees would be fired.”
Ed Stierli, vice president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group warned that “it just seems to be causing more confusion and chaos.” He told the Washington Post that “When you talk about changing duty stations for example, are they just trying to cripple this agency? Why would you try and sow chaos into an agency that is already stretched well beyond capacity trying to fulfill its mission?”
Because the reorganization may make Rangers and other staff move to other parts of the country or threaten existing parks, observers say that National Park employees feel they are being undermined by their bosses.
Over the next three months we may know more about this restructuring. Call your Congressional Representatives to tell them how you fell.
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