Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center left with minimal staff amid federal layoffs
Roughly three-quarters of the staff at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center have been laid off, according to former employees with knowledge of the situation.
Most people who lost their jobs were U.S. Forest Service rangers. Their role is to interface with visitors, respond to medical events and maintain trail and wildlife safety.
About 700,000 tourists per year visit the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in the Tongass National Forest.
A spokesperson for the Tongass National Forest, which oversees visitor center operations, referred questions to the U.S. Forest Service’s national media office.
A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, could not give location-specific numbers for how many people have been laid off. Instead they sent a statement of support of the Trump administration’s decision to cut 2,000 Forest Service jobs nationwide.
This is a developing story. Check back for continued coverage.
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