The effects of federal cuts to nationally funded programs like the National Park Service are trickling down to UCCS students.
The federal cuts to the NPS are targeting NPS grants. The NPS has also seen over a thousand layoffs. The cuts proposed by the Trump administration for the 2026 budget will see $1.2 billion in cuts, according to Forbes.
James Baginsky, associate teaching professor of geography and environmental studies, said the cuts are a “publicity stunt” to drum up attention, but is still worried what the field will look like, emphasizing the importance of staff at big parks.
According to Baginsky, places like Yellowstone already had trouble corralling tourists.
“Without NPS staff and rangers on site, it’s amazing how many people are stepping off boardwalks,” Baginsky said, “thinking about cuts in the magnitude that we’ve seen, on top of decades of parks already being underfunded, understaffed … that thought was terrifying to me.”
Baginsky said discussions of the funding cuts have come up in class and some students who plan to work in the national sector seem worried. Many NPS workers are flocking to more stable, state funded jobs, and even if someone’s job survived the cuts, it’s a possibility more could come, said Baginsky.
Baginksy said the situation spells uncertainty for the field. “Even if the uncertainty doesn’t amount to material changes, it has already created changes implied by its very essence,” he said.
According to Baginksy, the layout of the GES program won’t change, but funding for research might be harder to come by if everyone is relying on the same private grants.
Sam Hinkle, marketing and development director for the Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI), echoed Baginsky’s sentiment. “Uncertainty is the name of the game right now,” he said.
The RMFI is a local organization whose mission is to conserve public lands. Hinkle said the organization often works with UCCS students after graduation.
Acccording to Hinkle, RMFI has been affected, even in the nonprofit sector, by cuts in federal funding. “A lot of funding that cities and states can use in the management of their public lands is actually tied to federal funding,” he said, “so, it has impacted the scope and scale to which we can complete maintenance work.”
Hinkle said that RMFI has other ways to secure funding because of their nonprofit status, but hiring freezes, funding freezes and layoffs may force students to look for work more broadly. RMFI is questioning to what extent it can work in the short term with some of its partners, according to Hinkle.
“I can only imagine how scary this looks right now… people who have range and are willing to be flexible and nimble in a job market like this are going to find success.”
Despite the times of uncertainty, Hinkle said RMFI is committed to protecting public lands.