News | More Fed Land Job Cuts, "Unamerican" Exhibit Removed From Nat'l Park, State Park Double Homicide

America’s National Parks Podcast

RV Miles Network

Science, Nature, Places & Travel, Society & Culture:places & Travel, Society & Culture, History

4.9 • 870 Ratings

🗓️ 30 July 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, we cover the Trump administration's reorganization of the Department of Agriculture and its impact on the US Forest Service, as well as ongoing wildfires, including the Dragon Bravo fire at the Grand Canyon, and debunk myths about animals fleeing Yellowstone. We'll also discuss significant land acquisitions in Texas that will lead to the establishment of new state parks, a tragic incident at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas, a Netflix series set in Yosemite, and much more. Find the Slinky Stove that's right for your next adventure at: https://www.slinkystove.com/?ref=PARKography Join the PARKography Facebook group to discuss this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parkography 00:00 Introduction00:08 US Forest Service Reorganization01:49 Interior Department Job Cuts02:57 Sponsor Message: Slinky Stove03:36 Muir Woods Exhibit Removal04:17 Bear Incidents and Safety05:13 Yellowstone Animal Rumors07:15 Lake Powell Water Levels07:40 New Shark Species Discovery08:02 Wildfire Updates11:05 Texas State Parks Expansion11:56 Arkansas Hiking Tragedy12:35 Netflix Show Set in Yosemite13:33 Conclusion and Farewell

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Jason Epperson. This is Parkography, and it's time for the latest in National Park and Public Lands News.
0:08.0	First up, the Trump administration's ongoing effort to reorganize the Department of Agriculture,
0:13.9	which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, is drawing significant concern from former agency leaders and
0:20.2	wildfire experts.
0:21.7	According to a memo from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins,
0:24.8	the Forest Service will eliminate nine regional offices over the next year as part of a consolidation effort.
0:31.3	Duties will be redistributed to five new USDA hubs located in Raleigh, North Carolina,
0:40.2	Kansas City, Missouri, Indianapolis, Indiana,
0:45.8	Fort Collins, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, Utah. The move, Rollins said, is intended to, quote,
0:52.4	bring USDA closer to its customers and reduce management layers. But critics argue it will further disrupt an agency already dealing with
0:55.3	severe staffing shortages. The reorganization follows the Department of Government Efficiencies,
1:00.7	or Doge, layoff of 3,400 probationary employees or staff in roles deemed, quote, unnecessary
1:07.3	in the department earlier this year, and over 15,000 USDA employees have departed
1:13.1	through buyouts and early retirements since Trump took office. The Forest Service's firefighting
1:19.4	capacity is of particular concern. ProPublica reports of 4,500 Forest Service firefighting jobs,
1:27.0	27% remain vacant as the nation enters the peak
1:30.9	of fire season, despite public claims from the administration that the agency is fully
1:36.2	staffed. An internal memo from current Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz acknowledged that
1:41.3	resources are stretched thin, directing staff to pursue full suppression
1:46.0	strategies even as they lack personnel needed.
1:49.6	The Interior Department, which covers most of the other federal land agencies like the National
1:55.4	Park Service, is also bracing for more job losses.
	...

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