National park lovers are furious with President Donald Trump because a fat squirrel recently stole a baguette.
That’s according to a new CNN report detailing mounting frustration and burnout among short-staffed rangers after the White House suddenly changed the way national parks are run — and siphoned off a big chunk of their cash.
National park ranger woes stem from the White House’s decision to expand fishing access, lift hunting restrictions and roll back limits on off-road vehicles — and up the percentage of entry fees that get diverted to D.C., CNN reported.
The Trump administration redirected at least 30.5 percent of national park fees to projects that include Trump’s revamped Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to the report.
“What adds insult to injury is that there is no transparency,” John Garder, of the National Parks Conservation Association Garder, told CNN.
“We’re concerned… about the potential for some of those funds to be used for some of these large construction projects or vanity projects, which again haven’t gone through congressional review.”
Those aren’t the only concerns.
One NPS employee said a spending freeze makes it difficult to stock toilet paper and staffing levels have left her colleagues doing custodial work.
“Burnout amongst those employees is higher and turnover is huge,” another said. “It’s hard to keep people.”
Mikah Meyer, a National Parks expert, told CNN park rangers friends who used to do research have now become janitors.
“They have gone from working in their specialization that they are skilled for and trained for to literally cleaning your s—” said Meyer.
Staff shortages also mean people are feeding animals and leaving behind food for wildlife to snag, rangers said. This makes the bears “rowdy.”
Elisabeth Barton, co-founder of a tour-guide service near Yosemite, explained another problem with the food.
“The squirrels are getting fat,” Barton told CNN as she picked up trash around Yosemite picnic tables. “God, a squirrel with a baguette just ran by.”
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