Yosemite Valley, including Half Dome, Clouds Rest, and El Capitan, is revealed from Tunnel View after a brief rainstorm clears on March 27, 2025, in Yosemite National Park, California. (George Rose / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short April 12, 2025 at 7:38am
President Donald Trump’s effort to maximize government efficiency is shaking things up at Yosemite National Park.
On Friday, SFGate reported that the park’s delay in hiring seasonal employees — caused by the Trump administration — will have scientists, park rangers, and IT workers taking shifts cleaning public restrooms.
SFGate acquired an internal email that detailed information about the Resources Management and Science Division’s new responsibilities as employees like wildlife specialists, biologists, and hydrologists will need to pick up at least one cleaning shift each.
The employee who relayed the email said, “I’m not above cleaning a bathroom but personally am sick of our leadership not pushing back on anything and just towing the line.”
Another email said this is not a permanent arrangement, as Superintendent Stephanie Burkhart wants employees for this work for mid-April though early May; however, that is a minimum time frame.
Ken Yager founded Yosemite Facelift, a park clean-up organization. Yager asked whether leadership would also be working to fill in the gaps.
“I’m curious about how far up the chain of command this goes,” he said, asking, “Is the superintendent expected to clean toilets? I don’t want to insult anybody, but I’m curious. Are there division chiefs doing it?”
SFGate said the park looked at other options like volunteers or using custodial services, but none of the options proposed would work in the time frame.
Portable toilets were also considered but were not seen as up to the standard of service the park wants to provide visitors.
Should these custodial shifts be made a permanent part of working at Yosemite?
Chief of Staff Joe Meyer said the park is trying its best to hire, claiming Yosemite has been approved for more hirings that 2024, but “key vacancies” remain.
There’s nothing inherently shameful or wrong with doing this type of work.
If park specialists and scientists truly care about the state of Yosemite for the American people to enjoy to its fullest, they would do what needs to be done.
Nobody would say they “enjoy” cleaning toilets, but millions of Americans working jobs in the private sector do things they don’t enjoy every day.
This writer can recall working as an adjunct college instructor not too long ago while stocking shelves at a department store for the added income.
Government employees are not above these expectations.
SFGate did report some employees were not letting their new duties drag down morale, as one commented after custodial training, “I’m proud to be wearing the same uniform as everyone else here, and I’m proud to be your colleague,” to others in the group.
This is simply the public sector leaning what the rest of us know — for better or worse, sometimes you just do the work that’s expected of you.
Sam Short is an Instructor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.
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