As a forestry technician and wilderness ranger for Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington state, Downs picked up trash that campers left behind and buried human waste. Downs camped alongside visitors and taught them “Leave No Trace” principles to minimize human impact on ecosystems.

National parks will hire seasonal employees in an exception to President Trump’s hiring freeze. Delay could impact WA parks in early summer.

The peak bloom date is "defined as the period when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open," according to the National Park Service.

Currently, around 40 million gallons of stormwater combined with untreated sewage overflow into Piney Branch each year. This harms local waterways and wildlife.

More than 700 National Park Service employees have submitted resignations as part of Elon Musk’s “fork in the road” offer, according to an internal agency memo.

Park rangers are crowdsourcing terminations and cataloging the number of National Park Service employees the Trump administration has fired across the country.

WASHINGTON — Some of the country’s most beloved national parks are scaling back services in the wake of widespread federal layoffs. With job cuts rippling through the National Park Service (NPS), visitors are seeing fewer ranger-led programs, shortened operating hours, and even the cancellation of some services altogether.