An Important Update from Executive Director Ellen Reed

 
Habitat restoration volunteers walking over railroad tracks to a prairie.

Dear national park friends,

Today, I am writing to let you know that Mississippi Park Connection and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area have both been impacted by recent executive orders and funding freezes. We have waited to share this news as some of the information coming to us has been confusing and contradictory. The situation is changing minute by minute, and we feel the need to inform you of what we know as of today, Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

FUNDING FREEZES
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed several executive orders pausing some federal funding streams, including federal grants issued with funds from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The following week, the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued a memo, that paused the disbursement of all federal financial assistance that may be implicated by the President’s executive orders. On January 31, US District Judge John McConnell (District of Rhode Island) issued a temporary restraining order against funding pauses arising out of Memo M-25-13 and the executive orders. On February 10, Judge McConnell clarified and ordered the Trump administration to release federal funding including IRA and BIL funding to comply with the earlier order. As of today, several grant funding streams that pay for the bulk of Mississippi Park Connection’s environmental stewardship programs are still frozen.

To say the least, this has been a confusing and scary time, and we know that we are not alone in feeling the effects of this sudden and unexpected funding freeze.

Mississippi Park Connection (MPC) has three contracts that rely on funding that originated with the IRA and BIL. In total, this funding amounts to $2,650,000.00 and was budgeted over four years to pay for full-time environmental stewardship staff, dozens of AmeriCorps members, removal of hundreds of hazardous ash trees, and the replanting and care for thousands of new trees along the Mississippi River. These projects are beneficial to the community in so many ways – they help young people build job skills, restore critical habitat and tree canopy on public lands, and create safe paths and spaces for outdoor recreation. Without funding, this work is at risk.

MPC is still unable to access the reimbursements for these funds and the situation is critical. The funds are still frozen, despite being congressionally allocated and the work completed in good faith under written agreements.

HIRING FREEZES AND FIRINGS
While Mississippi Park Connection struggles to navigate funding freezes, we wait alongside our National Park Service colleagues and friends to see how the mass firings occurring across the federal government will affect them. On Friday, we learned that the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) lost three of its twenty workers in the first sweep of firings.  

On February 11, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative”. The order details a broad-sweeping Reduction in Force (RIF) across federal offices and includes National Park Service employees.  Three days later, several of MISS’s probationary employees were fired and many more from other Minnesota national parks. What does it mean to be “probationary”? It is important to know that in the federal government, the term “probationary” refers to the first one or two years of employment and has nothing to do with performance.

MISS is a small park that has lost more than 15% of its staff and critical functions related to the protection of the Mississippi River corridor are now at risk due to decisions made without local input. We have grave concerns that arbitrary firings, combined with broad hiring freezes, will decimate MISS and the National Park Service as we know it.

WHAT’S NEXT?
The language in the executive orders remains unclear and there is a worry that the federal workforce will be further decreased to what is called “shutdown” levels. We know from experience that when parks operate at this level, the robust park programs we love and expect are halted. If the workforce is permanently reduced, natural and cultural resource protection, youth education, public programs, visitor services, and ranger-led programs may be eliminated without any intention of their return.

What will happen to the National Park Service? We don’t know, but we are concerned about what might happen next. We do know that without park employees, national parks cease to exist. Without national parks, the American experience is forever diminished.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

  • Speak up. We ask you and all members of the community who love the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area to speak up for the National Park Service.  Dispel myths, raise awareness, and tell your friends and neighbors that these actions have devastating impacts on your national parks, both here and around the United States.   

  • Contact your representatives. Stress the importance of saving park jobs, restoring jobs for those fired, and reopening congressionally allocated funding to honor its agreements. Share your concerns that the park system may be facing an existential threat, and you need them to take action today.

  • Consider a donation. We may find ourselves in a place where we need to recoup thousands (if not millions) of dollars in contracted funding. As of today, we have no idea whether we will be reimbursed for completed work, nor do we know if we can continue the projects that are underway. Please consider a gift to help bridge the gap created by this sudden loss of federal dollars and ensure programming continues. Donate at parkconnection.org/donate.

We continue to hold onto hope and envision a future where MPC and the National Park Service can resume our work connecting people to the Mississippi River and protecting it for future generations. We need you to be a voice for the voiceless – park rangers, biologists, educators, planners, and cultural and natural resource managers. They need you now more than ever.

Thank you for standing strong with the National Park Service and with Mississippi Park Connection.

Sincerely,

 

Ellen Reed 
Executive Director 
Mississippi Park Connection  

 
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