Concern grows as Arizona national park closes visitor centers

Saguaro National Park in Arizona announced Thursday that visitor centers in both of its districts will be closed on Mondays until further notice.

A reason was not provided but the decision appears to be in response to the firing last Friday of 1,000 National Park Service employees, mandated by the Trump administration.

The NPS has not issued a detailed public response to the layoffs. Individual parks, likewise, have not referred specifically to the firings as they plan for staffing and operational support in advance of the peak spring and summer seasons.

While Saguaro is closing visitor centers only on Mondays, the announcement could be viewed as a sign of what’s to come at parks around the country.

Below is a sampling of the more polite sentiments on display beneath the Saguaro National Park Facebook announcement:

–“Disgraceful. Love those visitors centers and staff. They are integral to the cherished places they support.”

–”Thank you, Saguaro National Park staff for all that you do to care for and teach about our beautiful Sonoran Desert. We support you.”

–“Thank you NPS Rangers and Employees and Volunteers we appreciate you so much!! We will continue to fight for you!”

–“This news makes me very sad and angry! These parks are America’s parks and don’t or shouldn’t belong to the billionaires [messing with] this nation!”

–“Just the beginning.”

Only a handful of comments expressed support for the layoffs, which were executed via form email and involved mostly probationary employees with no job protections.