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Washington, D.C. – A new and inconsistently enforced policy at the National Park Service threatens to disrupt hundreds of veteran park employees and deprive Americans of their expertise just as the peak summer travel season begins, National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon said Wednesday.

Some of the Park Service’s seasonal workers, including backcountry rangers who make the nation’s most pristine and remote areas accessible to all, have been told they cannot be rehired this year because -- through no fault of their own – of hours worked in prior years.

NTEU, which represents many National Park Service employees, is urging NPS management to reconsider and allow these invaluable employees to return to their posts as soon as possible. Reardon sent letters to members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee.

“As you can imagine, this is a crisis situation,” Reardon wrote. “It’s already the middle of April, and summer is rapidly approaching, and long-time, experienced employees have had their lives upended with no answers.”

Seasonal employees around the country, defined as those who work during a park’s busiest season for no more than 1,040 hours, are confused and frustrated by the new interpretation that is suddenly punishing those who have worked at different parks in the same year. For years, many seasonal employees worked the winter and summer seasons in two different parks with the express permission and encouragement of park management who had said the extra work experience was valuable.

“These seasonal employees had been rehired year after year, many for decades, without having to formally apply and compete for positions,” Reardon wrote. “Although they could have, in theory, done so this year, they were not notified of this new ‘policy’ until after vacancy announcements had closed.”

NTEU believes that these employees have proven their value to the Park Service and to the nation and they should not have to re-apply.

The rule is being interpreted differently around the country, meaning some seasonal workers have been told that they are disqualified from being re-hired; others have been told they are cleared to be rehired as long as they didn’t exceed the 1,040-hour limit in the last four years.

“Each region, and each park, seems to have its own rules,” Reardon said. 

Reardon is asking for a clear and consistent path for these employees to keep working.

“Please help us to persuade NPS to create one set policy with clear communication for long-serving employees so that Park visitors can have an excellent experience in the parks this summer and beyond,” Reardon wrote to lawmakers.                                         

NTEU represents 150,000 employees at 32 federal agencies and departments.