SPOKANE, Wash. — Federal cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency Department are being felt locally.
Thousands of employees across the U.S. have been let go from various government agencies including the CDC and our national parks.
Some Washingtonians who have been let go from their federal jobs said they are worried about the effects the lay offs could have on the community.
Samuel Peterson worked for the National Parks Service at the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area before he was terminated in February.
“Living in America is getting more and more expensive and national parks, for the most part, are low cost or free to enjoy, and now, those spaces are going to become more dangerous, less enjoyable and have fewer services,” he said.
He said understaffed parks could lead to more emergencies.
“You’re going to see a lack of interpretive rangers being able to communicate safety messages to the public, which could lead to an increase in search and rescue operations,” Peterson said.
The National Parks Service released a statement saying it is still “hiring seasonal workers to continue enhancing the visitor experience as we embrace new opportunities for optimization and innovation in workforce management. We are focused on ensuring that every visitor has the chance to explore and connect with the incredible, iconic spaces of our national parks.”
Jessi Perkins worked as a program specialist at the Spokane Research Laboratory as part of the Spokane Mining Division, which is housed under the CDC.
She was terminated on Valentine’s Day.
Perkins said she is worried the federal cuts could impact safety for America’s miners.
“We have a program called the ‘Heat Stress Program,’ which actually brings in firefighters, construction workers and miners and puts them through rigorous testing to find out how their bodies actually respond when they’re underground,” Perkins said.
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