Assategue Island, Maryland – The shoreline of the Asatag Island in Maryland is a familiar place for Surfer Zack Tindle.
A former fire fighter paramedic, the tiangle often helped the beaches there – but now, as the mayor of the nearby Berlin, Maryland, he says that there is no guarantee of security.
“I don’t want to see anyone drowning,” Tyndal told CBS News. “We saved that we were able to bring out people, and we had some where we were not able, and this is my biggest fear on the island.”
The 37-Meel-Lumba Asatgue island is shared by both Maryland and Virginia. Every year, millions of people visit the Asatague Island National Sehore in Maryland, which are managed by the National Park Service. However, in this summer, visiting families are also being warned of closed lifeguard towers and signs that no lifeguard is on duty.
CBS News asked Park Seva about the status of staffing on Asatague Island, but the agency did not directly answer those questions – instead, in a statement, saying in a statement that there is a lack of lifeguard “there is also a nationwide concern outside our public land. There is a lack of a lifeguard for weaving in many communities and cities across the country. Are. “
Trump administration Lie down about In February, 1,000 NPS employees as part of their push, under the leadership of the Department of Efficiency of the White House, to implement budgetary cuts in large -scale personnel and federal government. President Trump also enacted A hiring freeze Soon after assuming office, on federal permanent civilian employees, who have influenced the park service. That hiring freeze Since then Extended by 15 July.
Ed Styley, Senior Director of the Mid-Atlantic Area of ​​the National Parks Conservation Association, told CBS News, “This was a policy by Dogi and the current Trump administration, due to which the work of hiring all the work in the National Park service was done,” the Mid-Atlantic area of ​​the Mid-Autlants Association told CBS News.
On the ongoing analysis This week By the Conservation Association, Park Service has lost 24% of its permanent employees since taking over as Mr. Trump in January. The analysis also determined that about 4,500 seasonal posts have been filled, including lifeguards, well, under NPS, under NPS, it was said earlier this year that it was a target to fill it.
“The reason is that there are no lifeguards in Assategue, honestly a symptom of chaos and laxity that has been affecting this agency since the beginning of this administration,” Stayrally said.
An official of the Trump administration told CBS News that all fire, law enforcement and NPS personnel face priority to live publicly.
Meanwhile, Tyndall, just expecting a safe heat in Maryland.
“Every day when we do not have a lifeguard here on the beach, every one of these swimmers, each of our local residents, everyone who comes to the Astegue island, is endangering,” said Tinde.
And the situation may deteriorate with the proposed budget for the situation Financial year 2026Which tells for the internal department Deduct $ 1 billion for National Park Services, the biggest cut in its history.
