Pallone Leads House Democrats in Demanding Answers from Trump’s Interior Secretary on Lifeguard Shortage Crisis

Long Branch, NJ – With summer in full swing and millions of Americans heading to federally-run beaches, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today led a letter with key House Democrats demanding immediate answers from Trump’s Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about the dangerous shortage of lifeguards at National Park Service (NPS) beaches across the country. Signers include House Natural Resources Ranking Member Jared Huffman who represents the Point Reyes National Seashore, Rep. Gregory Meeks for the Jamaica Bay unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area, Rep. Frank Mrvan for Indiana Dunes National Park, and Rep. William Keating for the Cape Cod National Seashore.  

Pallone’s new letter follows an earlier letter he sent on June 9, raising urgent concerns about lifeguard and maintenance staffing at Sandy Hook’s Gateway National Recreation Area after his requests for information went unanswered. Despite requesting a response to his first letter by June 30, Trump’s Department of the Interior again failed to reply, prompting Pallone to escalate the issue and organize a broader demand from fellow lawmakers representing similar beaches across the country.

“We have given the Trump Administration months to explain whether they’re prepared to keep families safe at national beaches this summer, and they continue to keep the state of operations a secret,” Pallone said. “Now beach season is fully underway, and families visiting Sandy Hook and other National Park beaches are being put at serious risk. That’s unacceptable. If President Trump wants to gut the Park Service, he should at least be honest with the American people about what that means.”

In his new letter, Pallone and his colleagues cite an alarming lack of transparency and staffing due to President Trump’s January 20th executive order freezing federal hiring, Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” cuts to NPS staff, and resignation offers pushed on existing employees. Though the administration was forced to partly reverse seasonal hiring cuts after public outcry, it came too late to rebuild a stable workforce ahead of the summer season.

According to the most recent data, NPS had filled only 3,300 of 7,700 seasonal roles by mid-May, nearly 40 percent fewer than last year.

Pallone and the other signers outline how the Trump Administration has illegally slashed staff levels that Congress funded and approved, and blocked park personnel from communicating with Congress or the public about the consequences. Their letter demands answers by July 14 to basic questions about which beaches are open, where lifeguards are stationed, and how the National Park Service is warning visitors about the risks of swimming without lifeguards.

A copy of Pallone’s full letter is here and text is provided below:

Dear Secretary Burgum, 

We write to express our urgent concern and to demand answers regarding the historically low staffing of lifeguards within the National Park Service (NPS) at the height of the summer beach season. The national parks serve the nation as dedicated places for recreation in a clean, natural environment and should not be the setting for tragedy. The Trump Administration’s policies and lack of transparency are putting American lives at risk.

The newly dangerous situation within the national parks in 2025 is entirely of your Administration’s own making and is a direct consequence of your illegal decision to slash staff and budgets approved by Congress and signed into law. For months, the Department of Interior (DOI) has refused to share information with Congress regarding the consequences of your hazardous staffing policies. This unprecedented situation extends to the staff of NPS units, including the National Parks, National Recreation Areas, and National Seashores in our districts, who you have forbidden from communicating with Congressional offices without express permission from DOI headquarters – approval which never arrives.  

These policies include President Trump’s misguided January 20^th Executive Order freezing hiring of federal employees, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cuts to NPS permanent and probationary staff, and the deferred resignation offers made to permanent staff.[1] Though you partly reversed the cuts made to NPS seasonal employees, including lifeguards, due to public outcry in February, much damage has already been done.[2] As of May 13, only 3,300 of the 7,700 seasonal positions had been filled – nearly 40 percent less than fiscal year 2023.[3] Many Americans who proudly applied to serve the national parks as seasonal employees, including lifeguards, received your message loud and clear – their unique ability to save American lives in open water was not appreciated by the Trump Administration and they sought stable employment elsewhere. From the limited public information available, it’s clear the cumulative impact of these policies have left the parks in our districts with skeleton crews to run these prized places for ocean and river recreation. If the Trump Administration is so proud of these unlawful and chaotic changes, you should not be so secretive about their outcome. 

This vacuum of information has created confusion and concern in our communities. Our constituents and the millions of other Americans that visit the National Parks, National Recreation Areas, and National Seashores for a respite from the summer heat and their busy lives deserve to know whether the park is ready to accept visitors for safe recreation. The high levels of visitation that these parks experience in the summer months are why the park needs to be fully staffed with year-round and seasonal employees. 

Historically, despite warnings not to swim, people have drowned at National Recreation Areas and Seashores when the beaches are not open and fully staffed with federally employed lifeguards. We cannot let this situation repeat itself this summer, though we are concerned your disregard for the vital health and safety roles that NPS staff play may result in catastrophe. 

American families and international tourists flock to our beautiful beaches and recreational areas every summer to enjoy swimming, surfing, and fishing, among other activities.³ These visitors rely on the national parks for their summer vacations, and their visits generate significant contributions to state and local economies. The government should protect the ability of the parks to serve Americans and contribute to the tourism economy, not create potentially dangerous and filthy conditions by failing to hire the necessary lifeguards to keep swimmers safe and maintenance staff to clean bathrooms during the busiest season of the year. It is shameful to deprive American taxpayers of their right to the services their hard-earned dollars are paying for, in this case, the services provided by the NPS that preserves and stewards natural resources for families to enjoy.

To rectify this outrageous lack of information on whether the NPS is prepared for basic operations at its open water beaches this summer, please provide written responses to the questions below by Monday, July 14, 2025: 

• How many lifeguards are currently employed by the NPS compared to this time last year?
• How many lifeguards does the NPS expect to employ on August 1, one month before Labor Day Weekend and the end of the summer season?
• Which NPS beaches will be open during the 2025 summer season? What are the dates and hours of each beach’s public access compared to this time last year?
• Which NPS beaches will have lifeguards this summer? What are the dates and hours that each beach will have a lifeguard? How many total lifeguards will work at each beach this year compared to last year?
• How is the NPS communicating to visitors about the days and hours that beaches will be lifeguarded and the risks of swimming at these beaches when lifeguards are not present? 

We proudly advocate to keep the beaches and facilities of the nation’s National Recreation Areas and National Seashores safe, clean, and accessible for all Americans and ensure they continue to be a place of safe harbor for the marine and riverine wildlife which bring delight to visitors. The National Park Service must hire qualified staff in a timely manner and clearly communicate the agency’s  ability to host the American public. Instead of working against Congress, I hope we can work together to ensure the entire National Park Service continues to thrive for generations to come.

Please contact our offices immediately with an update on this important issue and formally reply by the date requested.