Mother Nature alone can’t keep our parks and trails ready to enjoy as the weather turns warmer. At Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a team of more than 100 employees normally maintains the 32,950 acres of forests and rivers.
CVNP, however, expects no changes this summer to hours or trail openings after a half dozen employees were laid off early this year due to the Department of Government Efficiency cuts. The staff behind the federally designated land is bucking a trend where other locations managed by the National Park Service are expected to bring closed trails, different hours and longer entry waits.
“CVNP will be open and accessible as in past years, with no changes expected,” says Pamela Barnes, CVNP Public Information Officer, in a statement. “We are committed to providing excellent service and welcome all to come visit!”
The DOGE’s cuts come as the National Park Service is already underfunded, according to outspoken employees and analysis from The Harvard Gazette and other media outlets. Last year, the National Parks welcomed a record 332 million visitors, of whom a little over 2.9 million saw Cuyahoga National Park, according to the NPS Dashboard Statistics.
With the bulk of those visitors coming during the summer months:
- May: 311,592 Visitors
- June: 354,492 Visitors
- July: 399,887 Visitors
- August: 300,183 Visitors
Clevelanders looking to make a difference can volunteer to help with trail maintenance, at the visitor centers, on the train and more.
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