Alaska
Hammered by staffing cuts, Alaska’s national parks brace for millions of visitors
Staffing cuts at Alaska’s national parks will save taxpayer dollars. But also likely to limit land management, visitor experience.
Fat Bear Week lets people vote on their favorite chubby bear
Katmai National Park and Preserve will once again allow people to vote on their favorite chubby bear during the Fat Bear Week, starting October 4th.
Staffing cuts at the National Park Service in Alaska will mean less oversight of wolves, whales, weather and fast-melting glaciers this summer. The cuts raise questions about the experiences that 3.3 million visitors will have in a state that’s home to half of all national park lands as the tourism and cruise-ship season ramps up.
But for now, Fat Bear Week remains safe.
President Donald Trump has been slashing employment across the federal government as he makes good on his campaign promises to shrink bureaucracy and save taxpayer dollars. And Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has given Elon Musk’s DOGE team sweeping powers to cut or reallocate spending at the National Park Service in order to prioritize coal, oil and gas development.
Public lands advocates say the cuts imperil important work both on the frontlines and behind the scenes in managing public lands across the country, including in Alaska, which is home to 60% of all land under park service control.
When Trump took office, park service staffing was already 20% lower than in 2010, even though 2024 was the busiest year for park visitation in history, with 332 million visitors.
Now, a first-of-its-kind analysis shows an estimated 60 staffers from the National Park Service’s regional offices in Alaska have departed under the Trump administration via firings, layoffs retirements and buyouts. The cuts represent about 33% of the regional staffing across Alaska, which is home to 54 million acres of park service land.
Overall National Park Service staffing changes are not publicly available, in part because the federal government exempted itself from regulations requiring private employers to disclose job-cut data.
Alex Johnson, the campaign director for the National Parks Conservation Association’s Arctic and Interior Alaska area said he’s worried the cuts will impact the public’s experience.
For many Americans, a visit to Alaska via a cruise remains a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Almost 60% of all tourists to Alaska arrive by cruise ship each year, according to state statistics, many of them traveling through Glacier Bay National Park or Kenai Fjords National Park before taking a scenic bus or train ride to Denali National Park.
“There are so many people who dream of coming to Alaska for that national park experience, to see the bears, to see the glaciers, to see the caribou, and essentially at this point the park service doesn’t have the resources or expertise to maintain those landscapes,” Johnson said.
Impact of staffing cuts
The nonprofit NCPA cross-referenced a list of current employees with last year’s directory to help build the list of departed staff. Those approximately 60 departures do not include staffing reductions in the parks themselves, or regional IT or human resources employees whose positions have been centralized to the Interior Department. An Interior Department spokeswoman declined to comment on the staffing reductions.
The regional office departures include wildlife biologists, historians, fire ecologists, tribal liaisons and interpretive specialists. Also gone: the employee responsible for overseeing the service’s automated weather monitoring stations, which are heavily used by pilots across Alaska to plot safe flights.
The tally also does not include the current vacancies in the top spots of six Alaska national parks.
In Alaska, the National Park Service manages an area larger than the entire state of Utah ‒ from renowned Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park to the nation’s largest national park, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, which alone is nearly the size of West Virginia.
The NCPA estimates that at least 2,5000 park service employees nationwide have left under Trump, in addition to the approximately 1,000 probationary employees who were summarily fired. Congress is currently debating a federal budget plan that could cut up to $1 billion from the National Park Service.
USA TODAY spoke with multiple park service employees in Alaska to confirm the numbers of departures and the impact those job losses are having.
One regional office staffer in Anchorage said they and their colleagues have been backing up all their data and writing down how they do their jobs. That way, said the staffer, who was granted anonymity because they fear for their job, said they want to ensure park service employees some years down the road will be able to understand the previous work. It’s equivalent, the worker said, to writing your own will.
Short-term approach ‘will have an enormous financial impact on the communities’
Trump has promised to hire a more-than-normal number of seasonal employees to help ensure parks remain open for visitors. But current and former park service staffers who spoke with USA TODAY said those seasonal employees won’t be taking on long-term projects like tracking bears or monitoring receding glaciers.
Earlier this month, five former National Park Service directors, along with multiple other former park service leaders, warned that budget cuts risk violating federal law requiring the park service to protect its properties for future generations. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered current park service leaders to shift staffing to preserve visitor experiences, like keeping open visitor centers and campgrounds.
“…We fear that these messages will put NPS superintendents in a difficult situation when confronted with decisions necessary to protect the resources of the units of the National Park System,” wrote the former leaders, who served under both Democratic and Republic presidents.
“The crippling of our parks and public lands, and the threat to the future of the National Park System, will have an enormous financial impact on the communities that rely on parks and other public lands that support their economies,” they concluded.
One bright spot is Katmai National Park and Preserve, which appears to have largely been spared significant job losses, several park service experts said.
Park officials confirmed to USA TODAY that they will continue running the wildly popular Fat Bear Week competition livestream, which last year drew 10 million viewers.
The livestream webcams at Katmai’s Brooks Falls area show brown bears ‒ the correct name for grizzlies living in coastal areas ‒ as they gorge on spawning salmon each fall in preparation for winter hibernation.
Two US soldiers were wounded by a brown bear during a training exercise in Alaska on Thursday, the US Army stated.
Anchorage Daily News reported that the soldiers were from the 11th Airborne Division, and that the exercise had been a “land navigation training event” near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
State wildlife officials said that the bear attack seemed to be a defensive one, from a bear which had recently emerged from its den. Staff members from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game collected evidence at the scene in an attempt to learn more about the bear, such as its species and gender.
“The incident is currently under investigation, and we are working closely with installation authorities and local wildlife officials to gather all relevant information and ensure the safety of all personnel in the area,” the 11th Airborne Division said in a statement, reported ABC News.
ABC News also cited an 11th Airborne Division spokesperson, Lt.-Col. Jo Nederhoed, who said that the two soldiers had been seriously wounded, but were receiving care at a hospital in Anchorage, and had shown improvement by Saturday morning.
“We hope both individuals have a full and quick recovery, and our thoughts are with them during this time,” Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Cyndi Wardlow said in a statement reported by Anchorage Daily News. “In this case, having bear spray with them in the field may have saved their lives.”
Both of the soldiers reportedly had and used bear spray during the attack.
The bear’s condition and whereabouts are currently unknown.
Up, up and away … that’s where most travel prices are going.
It’s true. Not only are our nation’s geopolitical thrusts in the Mideast affecting the cost of your fill-ups, every component of your trip from airfares to car rentals and hotel stays are subject to price hikes.
Imagine filling up a jetliner with jet fuel that’s doubled in price. It’s enough to melt your credit card, regardless of the number of points you get for every dollar spent!
Because the price of oil affects everything, higher prices are eating away at your travel budget in many ways.
Bag fees
There’s lots of press on this. All airlines are increasing their checked-bag fees because of the jump in fuel prices.
Back in 2009, Alaska Airlines instituted a $15 fee for the first checked bag and $25 for the second bag. At the time, there was no charge for the first bag and a second bag was $25.
Last week, Alaska Airlines, along with other major airlines, increased its fees to $45 for the first checked bag and $55 for the second bag. Delta Air Lines charges the same.
Even if the cost of oil comes down, I don’t expect bag fees will ever be reduced.
Travelers who live in Alaska are somewhat insulated from the new hikes because both Delta and Alaska Airlines offer two free checked bags, with conditions:
1. Alaska offers two free checked bags for travelers flying to or from Alaska who are enrolled in Club 49. This does not affect other flights on Alaska. Separately, ATMOS credit card holders can get a free checked bag. Also, elite members of the ATMOS scheme get one or two free checked bags systemwide.
2. Delta offers two free checked bags for travelers flying to or from Alaska who are SkyMiles members who live in Alaska. Again, this does not apply to other Delta flights. Separately, Delta American Express cardholders can get a free checked bag.
3. Elite-level travelers with the oneworld airline cartel, including Alaska Airlines, can get one or two checked bags on American, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Qantas or other oneworld carriers.
[Anchorage’s international airport rolls out self-driving wheelchairs]
Main Cabin vs. Basic Economy
The spread between the lowest available price, Basic Economy, and a more flexible ticket, Main Cabin, has increased. While the difference used to be $20-$30 each way when the Basic Economy scheme was introduced in 2018, the round-trip upcharge now can exceed $100.
For example, the lowest Basic fare to Portland is $337 round-trip on Alaska Airlines. The upcharge to Main Cabin, with full loyalty points, pre-assigned seats and more flexibility on changes and cancellations, is $447, a 33% upcharge.
This trend is not specifically attributable to the new Iran War. It’s just a cost that continues to rise.
New fees
I’m impressed at the creativity of airline people who dream up new fees. Here are some of my favorites from Alaska Airlines:
1. Phone reservations: $15
2. Partner award booking fee: $12.50
3. Pet travel fee: $100 in the cabin, $200 in the baggage compartment with a kennel
4. Left on board item return fee: $20
On Condor Airlines, operating the only nonstop service from Anchorage to Europe, travelers can choose from four different bundles in economy class. The least-expensive, Economy Zero, from $840 round-trip, features fees for travelers:
1. Carry-on bag fee, up to 8kg: $35; a small bag like a purse always is included for free
2. Checked bag: $75
3. Airport check-in: $30
All three of these fees are included in the next-highest fare bucket, Economy Classic, from $900 round-trip. It’s cheaper to buy the bundle than it is to buy the components a la carte. Seat assignments are additional, from $25 for economy.
Airfares on the rise
There are a few good deals available for travel to select West Coast/Intermountain destinations in May, including:
1. Anchorage-San Francisco on Alaska Airlines, from $307 round-trip. Fly May 15-28 only. Add $90 round-trip for Main cabin.
2. Anchorage-Los Angeles on Alaska Airlines, from $317 round-trip. May 15-25 only. Add $90 round-trip for Main.
3. Anchorage-Phoenix on United, Delta or Alaska, from $267-$287 round-trip. Fly May 8-June 9 only. Add $90-$100 for Main.
4. Anchorage-Denver $357 round-trip on Delta. Fly May 8-June 9 only. Add $90 round-trip for Main.
For travel to other destinations, or later in the summer, be prepared to pay more.
Flying to Hawaii? Alaska Air’s nonstop prices out at $706 round-trip between May 30 and June 6. Add $110 round-trip for Main.
Nonstop flights from Anchorage to Salt Lake City start at $669 round-trip with Delta on May 17. That’s $100 more than the cost for the same flights last month. Add $90 more for Main.
Hotel costs continue to rise, accompanied by pesky resort fees.
The Outrigger on the Beach in Waikiki is a very nice beachfront hotel. It’s not plush, or the nicest property. But it’s solid. The cost is $334 per night.
But there’s more: a $50 per night resort fee, plus a variety of taxes and charges, totaling $112.55 per night.
Down in Seattle, the Sound Hotel in the Belltown neighborhood is marketed by Hilton. The discounted rate for “Honors” members — it’s free to join — is $313.34 per night for a king room in late May. Taxes and fees add an extra $56.40 per night.
There’s no appreciable bump yet for hotel rates as a result of the oil price surge. Yet. But if these hotel rates seem high, they’re in line with hotel rates in Anchorage this summer. At the Sheraton in Anchorage in June, it’s $450 per night, plus $54 in taxes and fees, when booked at Expedia.
Car rentals are not cheap
My go-to site for car rentals is the Costco site, which compares major brands and automatically includes Costco discounts.
In Las Vegas, for a one-day rental in May, Budget charges $67 per day, which includes taxes and fees of $22.77. In Anchorage, the same kind of car, medium SUV, costs $92.97 with Alamo.
The biggest differences so far in car rental rates seems to be the bill you’ll pay when you fill up the tank before returning. There’s no appreciable jump in prices because of the new war.
When it comes to making travel arrangements for the spring and summer, it’s more risky making completely non-refundable arrangements.
I made the decision to purchase most of my summer travel plans in advance, but only after determining I would not need to change the dates. Particularly with airline tickets, it’s expensive to change your dates.
There’s lots of uncertainty regarding travel arrangements, particularly international travel. As fuel prices go up due to oil shortages, travel companies will look for ways to recoup the increased costs. In most cases, those higher costs will be borne by travelers.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has led to a decrease in oil prices nationally, but Alaska’s senior senator said the state faces a different situation that could threaten rural communities.
“If you can’t produce power because you don’t have the diesel or you just can’t pay the prices, your little communities can collapse,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said at a Friday press conference at the Arctic Encounter Summit in Anchorage.
The price of oil has been a double-edged sword for Alaska. On one hand, the increased price of North Slope oil brings more revenue to the state, but consumer prices can also rise.
North Slope oil prices were $106.36 a barrel on Thursday.
“This is a very precarious time,” Murkowski said. “Our state has enjoyed a bounty because we have benefited from the higher prices of oil that goes into our treasury, but it’s the Alaskans in … the off-road communities that are threatened to be hit most hard.”
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.
-
Austin, TX3 minutes agoStorms dump small hail throughout Austin area Saturday
-
Alabama9 minutes agoYMCA of South Alabama holds Healthy Kids Day in Spanish Fort
-
Alaska15 minutes ago
Bear injures two US soldiers during military training in Alaska | The Jerusalem Post
-
Arizona21 minutes agoNFL mock draft: 4-round projections for Arizona Cardinals
-
Arkansas27 minutes agoNo. 6 Arkansas ends top-ranked OU’s 31-game home winning streak with 3-2 decision
-
California33 minutes ago
Billionaire Steyer’s spending binge dwarfs rival campaigns in California governor’s race
-
Colorado39 minutes agoLandeskog – April 18 | Colorado Avalanche
-
Connecticut45 minutes agoOvernight Forecast for April 19