FLORISSANT — On Saturday March 22, dozens of individuals gathered at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument to raise their voices in support of public land preservation.
The crowd, consisting of residents from Colorado Springs, Teller County, and various regions of Colorado, united to demand action to protect both the land and the dedicated workers who help preserve it.
Recently, the Trump administration, through the Department of Government Efficiency, made headlines by cutting hundreds of National Park Service jobs.
This decision was part of a broader initiative to reduce the federal workforce. However, in a significant development, a federal court judge ruled these terminations as illegal, mandating the reinstatement of the workers.
Despite this victory, the future of their employment remains uncertain.
Lisa Mussi, a concerned advocate, shared her thoughts on the matter.
"The reduction in force, the RIF that's going to happen, is supposed to take out 30% of the staff. We're out here showing the park rangers some love. We know their jobs are important, we support them, and we don't want them to be cut.”
Supporters of the monument argue that the cuts are far-reaching and do not just impact jobs, they threaten the preservation of national parks themselves.
Shawnee Frizzell, a ranger who dedicated 17 years to Florissant Fossil Beds, expressed her deep emotional connection to the park.
She says, "When you go to a park like this, and you walk on the land, and you feel that incredible connection through time... it opens up our hearts, it opens up our minds, our consciousness. It's so important that we have this and protect it.”
Visitor numbers for national parks reached new highs in 2024, with over 331.9 million visitors, a figure not seen since 2016. The influx of visitors has raised concerns about how the parks will manage the increased traffic with diminished staff.
Jean Rodick, a former National Park Superintendent for over 40 years, shared her frustration with the cuts.
"I've spent my lifetime protecting, building, making things better. And now? They think it's just nothing. But it isn't. The people in the National Park Service are absolutely loyal and hardworking.”
Jim Lockhart, a representative of the Pikes Peak Sierra Club, voiced his disappointment regarding the cuts.
"They've never been overstaffed. They've always been underpaid, overworked, paid in sunsets. To say you can lay people off left, and right? It's really nonsense.”
For now, the protesters at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument remain determined to fight for the preservation of both the land and the people who protect it.
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