Maine Senator Angus King and Senator Steve Daines of Montana have recently called for increased staffing of the nation’s national parks to keep up with increased attendance.

Daines recommended a good staffing level of 23,000 full-time equivalent positions, up from 18,567 park staffers in fiscal 2020.

Visitation and workloads have increased in the parks system over the last several years, particularly during Covid, but employment numbers have not kept pace. Indeed, park staffing has steadily declined over the last decade.