And yes, "ass-kicking" is how Jessica Bowron, the Park Service comptroller "exercising the delegated authority of the Director," described the past year in an email to the agency's associate directors in Washington and regional directors across the country. The email was prompted by Deputy Director Frank Lands' directive telling regional directors and park superintendents to stop giving so many high employee appraisals.
In her email, which like Lands' directive was first reported by the National Parks Traveler, Bowron disavowed Lands' message.
"There is no hard and fast rule" limiting the number of employees being rated as "outstanding" or having "exceeded expectations," wrote Bowron.
But at the same time Bowron also told the regional directors and associate directors that the agency was struggling with "inflation of employee performance ratings."
Perhaps she needs to talk to her workforce, the staff remaining who have seen inflation in their workloads caused by the very staff reductions the Trump administration has forced on the Park Service.
"Given the 25 percent loss of staff and the hiring/promotion/detail freeze, lots of us are doing our own jobs, plus part or all of another critical position that was vacant," a Park Service employee told the Traveler on Saturday.
"Challenges are not new to the National Park Service, but low moral seems to be," another said. "As we tried to 'abide' by ... orders to leave the parks open, as staff suffer through the longest shut-down in history, to maintaining the highest standard of visibility and productivity for park guests, while juggling two or three positions has taken a toll.
"We are tired, worn out and, for me, sick of being mentally and emotional abused by an agency I was once honored to work for."
For Bowron, though, it's been a helluva year.
"Thank you, and I look forward to another ass-kicking year with you," she said in closing her email to the regional and associate directors.
Such a statement makes one wonder if Bowron has been paying attention to the Trump administration's actions towards the Park Service:
- The president has proposed a $1 billion+ cut in the Park Service's budget, a move that, if enacted, could put about 350 parks out of business.
- The administration has worked to erase history in the parks that have messaging Trump is uncomfortable with.
- The administration is working to weaken the Endangered Species Act, and indicated it might weaken clean air regulations.
- The president has issued an executive order to relax predator hunting regulations in national preserves in Alaska.
- The president opposes clean energy sources that could help mitigate climate change that is impacting natural resources in the parks.
- The president has ordered right-of-way permits to allow a 211-mile-long road to cross a pristine section of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, the Noatak River, and other federal lands to open a proposed copper mine.
Yes, it's been an ass-kicking year in the park system. We can't wait to see what 2026 brings, can you?
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