Ashley Korenblat, the proprietor of Western Spirit Cycling located in Moab, Utah, expressed her concerns over the recent staff reductions impacting her colleagues. Moab, known for being the home of iconic national parks such as Arches and Canyonlands, relies significantly on their esteemed reputations to entice visitors, particularly from abroad. “Fortunately, we are not in peak season yet, so we have some breathing space,” she remarked. “However, there is a looming issue regarding the public perception of these cutbacks: Even if the situation is not as dire as it seems, the mere perception of a problem could lead to travelers canceling their plans.”
Korenblat recounted a recent incident where a group of Canadian cyclists called off their scheduled trip due to apprehensions about the staffing cuts and the ongoing tariff disputes between the U.S. and Canada. This cancellation resulted in a staggering loss of a $10,000 booking for her business. According to a 2023 report from the National Park Service, the parks in southeastern Utah welcomed a total of 2.4 million visitors that year, directly contributing to the support of 5,122 jobs and generating a combined economic impact exceeding $486 million.
“We have invested considerable resources in promoting America’s National Parks on a global scale, and now it feels like we are squandering all those efforts,” she lamented. “Are these staffing cuts aimed at sacrificing lower-wage positions to provide more significant tax breaks for the wealthy? Is that the underlying motive here?”
Contributing to this report are Dinah Pulver and Eve Chen.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Trump Administration Layoffs Result in National Parks Scaling Back Operations and Services.
