National parks, including the Cape Cod National Seashore, may be staffed at lower levels this summer due to the Trump administration's hiring freeze.
It’s unclear if the Seashore will be able to hire seasonal staff, including lifeguards and the rangers who conduct many of the park’s educational programs. The National Park Service has already rescinded roughly 400 seasonal job offers across the country, The Washington Post reported in January.
A National Park Service spokesperson told CAI the agency does plan to hire for “key positions” at the parks, but the person did not answer questions about specific job categories.
Paul Niedzwiecki, CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, said it’s hard to believe the Cape Cod National Seashore could function normally without seasonal staff.
“It might be difficult for them to physically open parts of the park without the seasonal help that they usually have for the summer,” he said.
Seashore staff referred questions to the National Park Service.
Some two-thirds of the staff are seasonal, according to David Bernstein, board president of the nonprofit Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Year-round staff number in the low 50s, and the Seashore hires 100-110 people for the summer, he said.
Summer staff include lifeguards, rangers, shuttle drivers, people who do cleaning and maintenance, and public safety personnel.
Lifeguards perform not only their traditional role for swimmer safety, but increasingly, inform beachgoers about shark safety and sightings.
Summer rangers give most of the talks at the Salt Pond Visitor Center, “and they're well attended,” he said. “So anybody who's ever been to a park knows how important the rangers are to their experience.”
The Salt Pond Visitor Center is open year-round, but the Province Lands Visitor Center is closed for the winter. Beach restrooms and showers are also seasonal, as are the Highland Light tours and shop, according to the National Seashore website.
Niedzwiecki, the Chamber CEO, said too few summer staff could translate into closed amenities at attractions that drive the tourism economy on Cape Cod.
“I think that would have a significant impact,” he said.
The National Seashore brings about 4 million people to the Cape each year and between $535 and $540 million to the local economy, according to the Friends group.
In addition to the recent hiring freeze, seasonal hiring could be delayed by the lack of congressional agreement on a government funding bill, said U.S. Rep Bill Keating, who represents the Cape, Islands, South Coast, and South Shore.
“That appropriation process typically has to be done and completed before they can go out and advertise,” he said. “There's no one … that's hired because that's being held up at that point.”
Lawmakers are facing a March 14 deadline to avert a partial government shutdown.
Historical parks run by the National Park Service could also be affected by the hiring freeze, particularly if they hire summer staff. Not all do.
Locally, the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park does not hire seasonal employees.
