Behind the Flat Hat: The Then, Now, and Why of National Park Rangers
Susie Cormack
Department of Journalism, University of Colorado Boulder
Honors Thesis Research
Prof. Angie Chuang, Associate Professor of Journalism
December 12, 2025
Contents
I. Introduction
II. Literature Review
A. History
B. Roles of the Ranger
C. National parks relationship with politics
D. National parks on a wordly scale
E. Rangers and the media
III. Creative Project
IV. Contribution
V. References
I. Introduction
Less than one percent. I could ask my seven-year-old little brother how much one percent is and he would be able to tell me that it is not a lot. But, that is the percentage that the Moab regions public relations ranger, Karen Henker, cited when I asked her how much funding National Parks got from the federal government. With recent decisions made by the current administration, that percentage has now gotten even smaller. While yes, that less than one percent budget is already small, now that that budget is continuing to grow leaner it is making a huge difference in the quality of the rangers’ work lives and the parks themselves.
In President Trump's first 100 days in office, he and Secretary Burgum fired thousands of staff and pressured many other rangers to retire or resign (Johnson, n.d.). This has left national parks battling to keep up with the over-tourism issue they have been facing since COVID. For example, in 2024, national parks alone saw 94 million visitors, which has left understaffed rangers battling to maintain the safety of both the natural land and visitors (Borders, 2025). In addition, the current administration also stripped away many of those rangers' passion and dream job from them, leaving them with no support or alternative. In a world where money and greed has taken over, it is disheartening to see those who didn’t even do their job for making large sums of money, but for the love of it, to be told that they can't pursue their passion anymore to protect some of the only places in America that are still wild. What’s more, these rangers play an important cultural and societal role often overlooked by visitors or casual observers.
Sir David Attenborough once said, “If children do not grow up knowing about nature and appreciating it, they will not understand it, and if they don’t understand it, they won’t protect it, and if they don’t protect it, who will?” While many of our older generations have failed nature, there is still hope in the younger ones. But it is up to people like park rangers and the public to educate them so they can understand why it is so important to protect it. Like Attenborough said, if they are not educated, who will?
Park rangers.
Why? They play a vital role in educating others in protecting and preserving the natural world as well as American identity and the “nationalism” that comes with it.
The National Park System is made up of 433 units, this includes designated national parks as well as monuments, historic parks, and seashores (U.S. Department of Interior, n.d.). There are 20,000 employees but many are only temporary or seasonal. Only a small portion of that number carry the title of a ranger and an even smaller portion are actual law enforcement rangers. With that being said, the entire National Park Service (NPS), not just national parks, are facing a serious problem of over-toursim which started after the pandemic. In 2024, the NPS submitted a record breaking 331.9 million visitors compared to in 2014 with a total of 292 million visitors (Borders, 2025). The Trump administration cut permanent national park staff by 24% and has been reducing the number of federal funds to NPS. With tired infrastructure built in the early 1900s, millions of acres of land that are being threatened, these understaffed parks are causing fatigue for not only rangers but also the parks themselves.
Not only has the administration been affecting staff at these parks but also the history. This history is supposed to educate the American people about our country's past and the people in it, not erase it. The National Parks Conservation Association, wrote an article titled “Erasing History, Silencing Science,” that goes more in-depth on this very prominent and important issue that is also affecting the NPS and Americans (National Parks Conservation Association, n.d.). If these issues aren’t given the attention they deserve, then these parks, animals, and staff might not be able to keep up with the demands of a constantly growing society and government.
With that being said, this literature review is split into five main sections that help give a better understanding on why these rangers are the icons that they are and why we need them. First, it is important to understand the history of rangers to understand the importance that they have held for centuries. One of the earliest rangers can be traced to Egyptian times. Their role then was very similar to a rangers role now; protector. With any title of importance usually comes political issues. To deeper understand the important role that a ranger plays in protecting national parks we will see how monumental the creation of national parks were for America and how national parks have given back fiscally to small towns in America. But, giving back fiscally is not the most important thing that national parks do or should even be the most important thing. Nationals parks have inspired countries around the world to start protecting land and have continued the important conversation of how we should be preserving and protecting our planet. It is the rangers, though, that are representing America about an issue that is of utmost importance right now. Although, many people in America do not know much about rangers other than the fact that they protect national parks and wear big hats. In my last section, I ask this question by researching how rangers have played a part in national park media coverage or even if they have at all. I hope that this project will fill in the gaps for how the media has missed or misrepresented rangers.
Right now, most countries are looking at America with skepticism and disapproval. So why are we trying to destroy the one thing that other countries actually look up to?
II. Literature Review
A. History
How were national parks created?
The late 1800s in America were a time of much technological and industrial growth, which brought about new thinking and ideas. With so much expansion, environmental issues became more of a concern in people's minds, and many were seeking to find an escape from the rapidly growing cities. On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone National Park was established as “a park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people” during Ulysses S. Grant's Presidency (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d). The park was placed under the exclusive control of the Secretary of the Interior. Now, national park systems are established through acts of Congress, and national parks can only be created through this process. However, since the Antiquities Act of 1906, the President has the authority to proclaim national monuments on lands already under federal jurisdiction, which helps to protect archaeological resources (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.). The Antiquities Act was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an “Organic Act” which created the National Park Service, a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.). This act gives NPS responsibility for protecting national parks and monuments managed by the department. Congress declared the General Authorities Act in 1970, which recognized that the NPS has grown since Yellowstone in 1872; thus, the purpose of this act is to include all such areas in the system (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.). The establishment of Yellowstone National Park not only was one of the greatest preservations of land in American history but also brought much economic success. The creation of the park provided jobs for many who lived in the rural American West at the time: “National parks function as a replacement for declining sectors of the existing economy…National parks bring paychecks, employment opportunities, start-up and other entrepreneurial options, and often better infrastructure and connections to the outside world” (Rothman, 2000, pg.52). The national park system now consists of more than 400 areas and has inspired people from around the world with more than 100 nations containing 1,200 national parks or equivalent (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.).
How did the idea of the park ranger come to be?
The title “Park Ranger” did not become official until 1905, but the term ranger has been around for much longer. The term ranger as “guardian of the land” goes back five thousand years ago to Mesopotamian drawings on temple and palace walls (Farabee, 2003). In ancient Egypt, there were desert “rangers” who protected the boundary lines. “Preserve men” in ancient China, Persia, and later in Greece and Rome protected forests, hunting grounds, parks, and sacred groves from commoners (Farabee, 2003). In medieval Europe, there were royal forests in which people called “foresters” protected. The English word “ranger” evolved from the Germanic word “ring” or “range” in the early 1300s and then appeared as a title in the English Royal Rolls, (Farabee, 2003). Their duties were very similar to those of rangers today. Protect and safeguard forest trespassers and woodcutters and prevent wild game from being poached (Farabee, 2003). It is rare to find a job like this that has been seen as a “title” and “notable” for thousands of years.
Rangers later became recognized as groups of people and were often seen fighting or protecting during America’s westward expansion. A recognizable group is the Texas Rangers, who were put together by Stephen F. Austin to fight for Texas as they wanted to push further westward. They were later celebrated and became a law enforcement branch in 1874 (Farabee, 2003). The Texas Rangers later became a controversial group for the violent actions against Hispanic people. Obviously, national park rangers are very different compared to federal law enforcement rangers like the Texas Ranger group, but they were an example of what some “rangers” were considered to be back in the late 1800s in states like Texas. Consequently, in 1891 the Forest Reserve Act was set in place which created large portions of federal western public land (later called National Forests) (Farabee, 2003). Forest rangers for the national parks appeared simultaneously in 1898 when civilians began to assist the United States Army in guarding Yosemite, Sequoia, and General Grant National Parks (Farabee, 2003). Rangers were seen more as soldiers back then compared to today. During this time, national parks were already being threatened by those who wanted to extract resources, especially resources in Yellowstone. Some were even killing animals. So, the government at the time called in the United States Army to help protect the parks. The United States Army played a pivotal role in the early protection and administration of the first four national parks: Yellowstone, Sequoia, General Grant, and Yellowstone (Farabee, 2003). But then the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, and those soldiers had to leave the parks, which left them defenseless (Farabee, 2003). Thus, local civilians were hired to patrol and take the role that the soldiers had. The war only lasted a year, so the soldiers came back soon, and they let go of the newly hired “rangers”. Two civilians who were part of the original crew that took the place of the soldiers during the war were rehired in the winter as they were capable mountaineers and well prepared for the job (Farabee, 2003). These two men were the first to carry the title of ranger in a national park. Different sectors and groups were then created for rangers as the number of people who carried the title became larger.
B. Roles of the Ranger
The 2nd Director of the NPS, Horace Albright, said in a letter to prospective ranger candidates, “A ranger’s job is no place for a nervous, quick-tempered man, nor the laggard, nor the one who is unaccustomed to hard work,” (Pattiz, 2024). It is a common misconception that rangers only serve the purpose of educating and being protectors of the parks, but that is not true. The title of a “ranger” can serve the purpose of many different types of roles. Even though originally, the role of a ranger was to be a “guardian” or “protector” of the park, this title has turned into something much larger than that. “I’ll often say working in a national park, or running a national park is like running a small town,” K. Henker (personal communications September 27, 2025). For example, even though Henker is the public relations person for the four units of national parks in the Moab region, she is technically considered a ranger. Other roles include scientist, histories, and even cleaning roles. But, all of these different roles are relative to the size of the park.
In the interview that I did with Henker, she cited how the roles of the park are all relative to the size. In small parks, many of the rangers will take on multiple different roles. For example, one day a ranger might have to clean the bathrooms and work the front desk or lead guides and work the front desk. But, in bigger parks, the jobs become more specific towards each ranger. For example, in larger parks some rangers essentially become the “police” of the park. This requires them to go through specific schooling to get law enforcement credentials that are federal law enforcement positions . This allows them to carry guns and be granted the right to abridge someone's constitutional right, K. Henker (personal communications September 27, 2025). Each of these roles, no matter how general, are all important aspects to maintaining and keeping a national park running. Scientists play a crucial role in studying the landscapes and animals to figure out how to best preserve them. Interp rangers play a crucial role in teaching visitors about the park, its history, the environment, and animals that live in it. Like Attenorough said, by teaching people about the natural world it allows people to realize how important it is to preserve and protect these areas as well as encourages them to teach others about it. However, the role of policing is also extremely important because they help stop people from breaching rules that could potentially hurt the environment and themselves. I know when I worked in a national park, at least once a week I watched as a ranger had to tell people to step away from a moose or a mama bear and her cubs. I think we all know what could’ve happened if that ranger wasn’t there… So whether that's making sure the bathrooms are clean or preventing an animal attack, rangers are an extremely vital part to national parks and their safety and vice versa.
C. National parks relationship with politics
What happened to caring about the environment?
In today’s world, it is hard to imagine that when America and the constitution was created the political parties were actually flipped. Republicans were seen as the more progressive party while democrats were the more conservative party. For centuries, the Republican party has been advocating for protecting land. It was actually a republican President, Theodore Roosevelt, who started the national park systems. So what happened? Money? Power? I would say it is a mix of the two.
Money talk
One, if not the biggest, argument about national parks and politics has to do with economics. “Free market advocates are concerned that federal protection will inhibit opportunities for development and will lead to economically inefficient land use,” (Espinosa et al, Pg.113, 2017). But, I am sure many of these “developments” that those people are concerned about look a lot like the Ambler Road Project, which is a 211-mile industrial use road that cuts through miles of some of Alaska’s most sacred and vulnerable lands. If it really is all about money, then national parks do a pretty good job of generating revenue for many communities in America that would have a hard time getting it in other ways. Many of the small mining towns surrounding national parks were shut down during the mid-20th century. For this reason, these towns began looking towards the tourism industry to make money and save their town, which could’ve ended up like the many ghost mining towns in western America. In 2023, 325 million visitors went to national parks and spent an estimated total of $26.4 billion dollars (USAFacts, 2025). This value added to the regions surrounding that park's GDP as well as business-to-business sales and sales directly to consumers. In 2023, park visitor spending amounted to $32 billion in value added to GDP (USAFacts, 2025). Not to mention, national parks also create thousands of jobs for not only America but also local communities. In 2023, 415,500 jobs in local economies were tied to supporting national park visitors, generating $19.4 billion in wages and salaries (USAFacts, 2025). The number that was said above was accounting for both park staff and local business owners in the region's community. To add to my point that many of the people that work for the NPS work because they love it not for the money, 138,000 people volunteered for the NPS last year (U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.). That makes up a greater number than the actual people who are hired employees; 20,000 permanent, temporary, and seasonal employees. Considering that now college graduates are struggling to find any work, it isn’t quite adding up why the government keeps deciding to fire people and get rid of jobs. But, if you have a good head on your shoulders, then I am sure you can figure out that the firing of national park staff is part of a bigger, brighter future for billionaires.
What else is hurting national parks and rangers?
Defunding and over-tourism have also brought up issues between national parks, rangers, and politics. A major cause for this over-toursim is the new found love for outdoor recreational activities. This was a direct effect of COVID-19 mixed with social media posts and trends. Even though tourism dropped during the pandemic, after restrictions became less intense, it triggered a surge in outdoor recreation, with domestic travelers turning to national parks as a safer, socially distanced alternative to traditional vacations (Borders, 2025).
Social media, as we know, has caused many problems in today's world, and one of those problems is spreading misinformation about parks. A new pandemic has started in the social media world with a rise in “outdoor” social media influencers. However, not all content promotes safe or responsible practices and many of these posts spread misinformation through posts and hashtags about park policies and rules (Borders, 2025). A study conducted by Georgia Tech School of Economics found that parks with high positive social media exposure — such as Rocky Mountain and Joshua Tree, saw visitation increase by 16 to 22 percent compared to parks with less positive exposure (Borders, 2025).
Roads, trails, parking lots, restrooms, and visitor centers are all taking a hit from over-toursim among many other things like the rangers themselves. On social media, we can see how budget and staff cuts are causing lines at Yellowstone to be miles long because neither the staff nor the park can handle the numbers of people pouring in. Journalist Borders wrote “Beneath the surface of this overcrowding lies a deeper problem: aging and neglected infrastructure,” (2025). The NPS has a deferred maintenance backlog of over $22 billion, which includes decaying roads, collapsing bridges, faulty sewage systems, and under-maintained lodging and visitor centers (Borders, 2025). This also includes the conditions of basic amenities like restrooms and waste disposal. These systems that were made in the early 20th century were not made to handle the world today. As one can imagine, the current administration's decisions are not helping this issue get any better. In 2019, during President Trump's first term, the administration proposed a budget that sought to reduce the DOI’s funding by 14 percent, bringing it down to $12.6 billion, (Borders, S. 2025). This reduction decreased the NPS appropriation to $2.7 billion, continuing a trend of diminishing financial support, (Borders, 2025).
D. National parks on a wordly scale
America’s role in international parks
When people visit America from different countries, there is one bucketlist item that many try to check off: exploring America's “wild” country. According to the Property and Environemnt Research Center, approximately 14 million people visit national parks from other countries annually, or more than one-third of all foreign visitors to the United States. This “wild” country usually means going to a national park. However, when Americans go to Europe, the picturesque dream of eating a croissant in Paris or riding a gondola in Venice pops into people's heads; exploring Europe's protected land is usually not part of people's romanticized dream of Europe. However, Europe is home to over 400 national parks spanning multiple countries (Europe’s Parks, 2020). Many people get inspired by others' ideas; this can also be said for Europe’s national parks and the Americas. The success of Yellowstone National Park spread overseas quickly and inspired many environmentalists in Europe to create something similar. The first European national park was declared in 1909 in Sweden, 37 years after the creation of Yellowstone (Europe’s parks, 2020). This worldly scale of parks has created a way for countries to come together to protect something much bigger than just protected land: our planet. The International Ranger Federation, a non-profit organization, was created in the mid 90’s so rangers from around the world can come together to celebrate success and also help each other in protecting and preserving our natural world. If there is one thing in this world that every country has in common, it's that most countries have some sort of forests, deserts, or land that they are trying to protect. If each country isn’t trying to do this, then the human race might destroy the planet faster than we already are.
How America’s current situation is affecting it
In an interview with the executive director of the Association of Park Rangers, Bill Wade, he told me about how he and the association has worked very closely with international rangers; he has even been overseas to help train rangers in Europe. But, he did mention how what is happening right now with our rangers/national parks and the government is worrisome for those overseas. “We were sort of the model for years for national parks and national park systems, and now it’s being demolished. I can’t help but think about what some of the people in other countries are thinking about what’s happening to our national park systems after they took time and effort and everything else to model their system after ours,” B. Wade (personal communications, August 18, 2025). “We certainly don’t want other countries to follow this country's actions in terms of national parks that are going on right now.” It is quite ironic how America has always been a “model” for many countries because of how different and “progressive” we are, but now, I am not so sure that countries are looking at America with dreamy eyes anymore. If there is one thing that all countries should be agreeing on, it's protecting and doing everything we can to preserve our planet. Firing rangers and cutting funding to national parks is not going to help the bigger crisis that we are all facing: climate change. No one's going to be able to make billions if the planet is falling apart. Something to think about for those who love and want to keep making billions.
E. The media’s role in national parks
Media presence then
The Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition of Yellowstone National Park in 1870 is one of the first times we see a national park receive “media coverage”. I say “media coverage” because what was considered media coverage in the 1870s is not what we as a society would consider media coverage today. Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden led this expedition, along with a mineralogist, a topographer, two artists, and a photographer (The Library of Congress, n.d.). The crew explored the vast, untouched land of Yellowstone, which was not yet an established park. But Hayden's expedition helped influence the idea of turning it into protected land. After the expedition, Hayden wrote a 500-page report detailing his group's findings, accompanied by paintings and photographs. Hayden presented the report, photos, sketches, and drawings to Senators, Congressmen, the Department of the Interior, and nearly everyone else who could possibly influence the founding of the park (The Library of Congress, n.d.). Likewise, Hayden also published articles in magazines, making this one of the first pieces of national park media coverage. Publishing this report in magazines helped spread national circulation of what was yet to be Yellowstone National Park (The Library of Congress, n.d.). About a year after Hayden’s expedition, Yellowstone became an established national park.
Fast forward almost a decade, Smokey the Bear became a national media icon for the National Forest Service. While the National Forest Service and the National Park Service are run by different federal agencies, they both share the goal of using the media to advocate for public land stewardship and protection. Smokey the Bear is one of the biggest examples of how a federal agency created a media icon. The icon was created in August 1944 and was used to spread awareness for wildfire prevention (Smithsonian Institution Archive, 2019). The bear was inspired by a real bear rescued from a forest fire and brought to the National Forest Service. Since then, the Smokey the Bear symbol can be seen on posters, in news articles, and even as a paw stamp used as a signature on campaign letters. Now, most Americans who see the Smokey the Bear symbol can point it out and know what it is and what it means. One could say the same about the rangers' iconic flat hats being a national symbol.
Media presence now
Today, we can see that social media has more of an impact than the news does. This also applies to the coverage of national parks. From animal fan pages to outdoor influencers, the national park social media presence has it all. Different national parks also use social media platforms like Instagram to inform followers and visitors about events and conditions at the park. A study by Kristina Korena and Petra Partlova examined how nine national parks in Europe use social media to present official profiles and websites, in the context of building reputation and identity, to determine whether they use suitable marketing tools and what the possibilities and limitations are. Social media enables national parks to efficiently and very quickly transmit current information about the situation in the national park, but also continuously educate the public (Korena & Partlova, 2023). Other existing studies confirm that social media can be a reliable indicator for evaluating the relationship between visitation and the reputation of national parks or protected areas, (Korena & Partlova, 2023). But, as I said before, post-pandemic visitation numbers have skyrocketed, making some parks look less appealing because of the high volume of traffic not just from cars but also people. When outdoor influencers post “ratings” of national parks and talk about issues like the car lines to enter or other complaints like that, they aren’t taking into consideration what is currently happening to national parks. Just one post like that can hurt a park's reputation. A study that was done in the U.S. which examined national park visitors' age trends could be part of the answer for why visitor numbers have skyrocketed. The study found that journalists had exaggerated the popularity of national parks among Millennials and Gen Z youths, and that actual data about the age of visitors was more ambiguous than had been represented (Balentine et al, 2024). Also, the rising popularity of video games and a perception of decreased free time presented obstacles to youth engagement with parks.
On the contrary, in some cases, social media has been used to give those who were fired or let go a chance to use their voices. For example, Brian Gibbs was one of the park rangers who was fired during President Trump's and Sec. Burgum’s firing spree. Gibbs' story was one of the first to go viral across social media and news platforms. Thousands reposted his story with a picture of him and his son infront of Effigy Mounds National Monument sign, with headlines saying things like “A fired ranger lost his dream job. He says the public is losing more,” (National Public Radio, 2025).
News presence now
Unlike the many studies on social media use about and in U.S. national parks, very little research exists on U.S. news media coverage of national parks. Most research on news media and national parks has been conducted outside the United States. For example, researchers found that news coverage of South African National Parks was more nuanced when experts—largely scientists—were interviewed, rather than policymakers and the general public. Given the influence of the mass media on the views and opinions of the public and policymakers, and its socio-political and management consequences, we conclude that scientists and journalists should do more to engage with one another (Smith et al, 2022). A study based in Serbia found that “green laws” protecting natural resources led to reporting on national parks that also emphasized their vital role in environmental preservation (Simenunović-Bajić, 1970). Similarly, in South Korea, research on news media coverage of national parks found that while stories addressed a variety of topics, they lacked the focus and depth to guide policy decisions about park management or environmental issues. “Although online news articles contain diverse issues and reflect social trends, they have rarely been applied as an information source for organizations’ innovative management,” (Yang et al, 2021).
On the other hand, here is an example of the research that has been done when looking at news media coverage and national parks. U.S.-based researcher, Kevin Michel Deluca, argued in an essay that the rare media—a documentary film—focused on national parks, Ken Burns’ 2010 The National Parks: America's Best Idea, did more damage than good (DeLuca, 2010). The Burns series reinforces the popular idea that U.S. national parks are primarily sites of vacations and historical artifacts, not sites of essential political debates about wilderness and environmental preservation.
The lack of research on U.S. news media coverage of parks suggests that mainstream journalism does not routinely cover the parks. When it does, similar to the international examples and the Ken Burns documentary, expert sources aren’t frequently interviewed and parks are not seen as sites of serious environmental and policy issues. Hence, news outlets have been quiet and have not followed up on this still very prevalent situation that rangers and national parks are facing right now. The majority of posts and news articles focus only on what has happened and who is being hurt. I have yet to see a post or article that actually goes into detail about the why: why rangers are so important to national parks, why rangers have been and still are American icons, and why this is so harmful to not just national parks but the world's environmental issues as a whole.
III. Creative Project
To bring this research and issue to life, I will be creating a long-form journalism story composed of interviews I will conduct with national park staff and those who have immediately felt the repercussions of President Trump's decisions.
To add to this, I hope to not only write a long-form article but also create a multimedia website page that includes photos, graphics, and audio elements to create a multifaceted story for viewers. While this project topic and speaking about it are sensitive to many who still work in the field, I hope to raise awareness of this issue through words and visuals, making it feel more personal and helping readers connect with the subjects.
I admire journalists and their multimedia documentary skills, like Eli Imaldi, who shot and wrote ‘This Dark Tunnel’. The multimedia story is about a Black woman who experienced police violence directly in front of her family. I had a class with Professor Imaldi where he told us about this project and how he got his subjects to trust him and be vulnerable in front of him. Imaldi doesn’t just capture news or moments; he gets to know his subjects before even bringing a camera around them. This allows for deeper and more meaningful stories to be captured and told. I hope to do the same with my subjects as the subject I am writing about, and shooting is sensitive to many.
But I do plan to still respect the boundaries of those who want to stay anonymous. I plan to do this by experimenting with my photography. I will take photos that are still visually appealing but will not capture the subject's face or will use only their shadows. For the audio, I plan to pick quotes from interviews that I believe are most impactful when delivered by the source. No name will have to be mentioned if the subject does not want it mentioned, though.
By doing this, I hope to show the audience that the rangers don’t just wear big hats and know a lot about rocks; they play the most vital role in keeping America’s protected land safe.
IV. Contribution
In the summer of 2024, I worked at Glacier National Park as a horseback guide in one of the most remote parts of the park (Many Glacier), which was about 20 miles from the Canadian border. I watched firsthand as guests broke the park's rules, whether by getting too close to wildlife, going off-trail, or littering. But what impacted me the most was the park staff's response and how hard they worked to not only protect the negligent visitors but also the land and animals that they were being negligent of. I watched as cars lined up for miles to enter this sacred land, thinking, “good thing there are so many rangers to work the entry station”. But now, that has changed. Rangers are overwhelmed by overtourism as more are being fired or let go. Protecting those negligent tourists won’t be as easy, considering all the tasks that the rangers who were spared now have to check off alone.
I knew, when the news broke that the Trump administration had fired thousands of national park staff, that I wanted to use my journalism background to give this issue a voice. But after looking, I have noticed that not many news articles or social media posts have actually really focused on the rangers rather than the politics surrounding them and the parks. While yes, covering political issues when they happen is timely, important, and all things journalistic coded, it is also important to give the spotlight not to politics but to who these political decisions are impacting the most. To contribute to this issue, I hope to conduct research that demonstrates the importance of these rangers not only to national parks but also to American identity and nationalism. By showing this, I hope to back up my argument that this isn’t just a short-term issue but a long-term one that will have lasting effects for years to come. I also hope that this thesis helps people gain a better understanding of rangers and the hard work they have dedicated their lives to for decades.
Current decisions made by the new administration have affected the school of thought that rangers and "America's wild landscape” aren’t important aspects of American culture to protect, making people feel as if these places and people have less significance. If these national parks and rangers are symbols of American identity, culture and nationalism, then why are the people who are supposed to be helping America and the American people neglecting something that has represented and benefited America for decades?
References
Balentine, M., Crowell, J., Holloman, C.F., Pretes, M. (2024). Youth Visitor Trends in United States National Parks: A Preliminary Study. In: Weber, J., Sultana, S. (eds) The Changing Geography of National Parks and Protected Areas. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Bearss, E. C. (1987). The National Park Service and Its History Program: 1864-1986: An Overview. The Public Historian, 9(2), 10-18.
Borders, S. (2025, May 8). Too many visitors, too few Rangers: The National Park Dilemma. Policy & Political Review. https://policypoliticalreview.com/2025/05/08/too-many-visitors-too-few-rangers-the-national-park-dilemma/
Collections: Library of Congress. The Library of Congress. (n.d.). https://www.loc.gov/collections/national-parks-maps/articles-and-essays/yellowstone-the-first-national-park/
DeLuca, K. M. (2010). Salvaging Wilderness from the Tomb of History: A Response to The National Parks: America’s Best Idea . Environmental Communication, 4(4), 484–493. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2010.522146
Dwyer, K. (2025, June 24). How international visitors can help steward our national parks. PERC. https://www.perc.org/202D3/12/21/how-international-visitors-can-help-steward-our-national-parks/
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