Gateway Arch Park Foundation concerned about layoffs ahead of busy tourism season
“It would be awful, I wouldn’t be able to experience this at all.”
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The Trump istration has recently fired around 2,000 people at the U.S. Forest Service and another 1,000 National Park Service employees. It’s a part of the istration’s push to cut federal spending and shrink the size of the government.
“Even before the recent executive orders, all national parks, particularly ours, were short-staffed. Gateway Arch Park Foundation already funds 4 positions at the park,” said Ryan McClure, the Executive Director of the Gateway Arch Park Foundation.
McClure says the layoffs are of serious concern to him and the foundation. The Foundation works closely with the National Park Service and the 90 acres of land where the Arch, its Visitor Center, and the Old Courthouse sit.
“2.4 million people visited the Arch last year and a lot of those visitors are coming between Spring Break and through the summer months, so we’re about to enter a season where National Park Service staff are so important the entire year but you certainly see their importance during the summer tourism months,” said McClure.
McClure says the Arch provides half a billion dollars in annual impact for the St. Louis region economy. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones says she’s more concerned about the far-reaching effects the cuts may have.
“We’re lowards of $170 million of the city budget annually, so these implications are wide-ranging and could touch a host of different departments, not just the park rangers,” said Mayor Jones.
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