After the Feb. 14 mass firings, several employees lost their jobs at the Great Smoky and Cumberland Gap mountains. However, the Merit Systems Protection Board and two federal judges recognized the outrage. They determined the firings illegal and ordered the agencies to reinstate those fired, with pay and benefits that were initially lost.

According to Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, employees may feel uneasy about returning to work given the uncertain circumstances.

“Some may not be able to afford to travel back to their jobs and some might decide they don’t want to work any longer for the federal government, given the way they were treated,” Wade said.

Firing an employee during their probationary year has to be for a specific cause, typically related to poor performance or conduct. Since these employees were illegally fired, the term could have multiple meanings, according to Wade.

“Because all those fired employees received the same email, the judgments were that it was a “reduction in force” and not individually based on performance. Many of those fired had performance ratings that were “fully successful” or better.“

Haley Gipson, a senior studying wildlife and fisheries science, explained her reaction after witnessing the firings.

“I think that it’s only right for them to be reinstated,” Gipson said. “They were genuine people who worked hard for their jobs only for them to be ripped out of their hands. It takes a lot of work and experience to get a permanent position with a federal agency and these people didn’t deserve to be fired without cause.”

Gipson worked at Montgomery Bell State Park for four summers, holding positions such as campground attendant and seasonal interpretive ranger. Although her season was over before the layoffs and funding issues started, Gipson was impacted considering she was looking for a different job.

“I have already been turned away from three jobs I have applied for because they lost their funding for the position,” Gipson said. “One was with USGS, one as a research technician and one at a nonprofit. A lot of people don’t realize that it’s much more than just national park employees being fired. It’s also young professionals trying to enter a field that’s already incredibly competitive and losing opportunities due to a lack of funding because of the federal grant freeze.”

Gipson clarified that this is not just a national park issue — all areas of conservation fields are affected because federal grants fund research and internships.

One aspect impacted by the national park firings is credit card limits.

“Several weeks ago, with almost no warning, a limit was placed on the use of government credit card purchases, capping the charge limit at $1 — that’s correct — $1,” Rick Mossman, president of the Association of National Park Rangers said.

The charge limit is an issue, as National Park Service employees use their authorized credit cards to make multiple purchases, including items such as toilet paper and maintenance supplies.

According to Wade, the purchasing limitations impact local businesses surrounding the parks and some parks cannot afford necessities like utility bills or gasoline for ranger patrol vehicles.

According to a statement from ANPR, “The Department of the Interior has been ordered to submit a restructuring plan by today and to expect to reduce payroll by 30% and to anticipate additional massive layoffs. And yet another ‘restructuring plan’ will be due from the NPS in April.”

Wade told the Beacon that he is concerned this is all part of a planned ‘starvation’ of the national parks, as the National Park Service is unable to fulfill its mission of providing for visitor enjoyment and protecting its resources.

“This could be used to justify privatization or development in parks that is inconsistent with their purposes,” Wade said.

Wade explained that if it were left to the NPS to make the determinations about probationary employees, they would do it according to law and policy — that’s what happened back in February.

“As a concerned American you must act now to stop the potential loss of many of your most precious and irreplaceable parks. … Once they are gone, they are gone,” Mossman said.