Acadia National Park is reinstating the eight probationary employees terminated in February.
“In compliance with court orders, the Department of the Interior is reinstating these employees. Individual notifications are underway, and while the process takes time, affected employees can expect to receive notification soon, if they have not already. All impacted employees will receive back pay, and the department will ensure continued compensation as the White House pursues its appeals process,” the National Park Service said Wednesday.
Last Thursday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup declared that the termination of probationary park employees throughout the country was illegal. Alsup determined that the Office of Personnel Management did not have the authority to terminate those employees. On Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the Trump administration’s request to stay the order should be denied.
Alsup then issued an order Monday expressly saying that probationary employees should not be placed on administrative leave en masse, but rehired and asked for an explanation.
Staffing shortages at the national park are often the topic of news related to Acadia. U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree has recently stated that the lack of staffing “cannot be overstated” at the park, which receives millions of visits each year.
Each year, the park has looked to fill approximately 160 seasonal positions. In the past few years, the park has often filled less than 120.
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