The National Park Service has not yet predicted when peak bloom could hit this year. WASHINGTON — Despite the chilly temperatures outside, plans for the National Cherry Blossom Festival are beginning to bloom.

About half a dozen employees at each of Washington’s three national parks are believed to have been laid off as part of the Trump administration’s government-wide push to slash staff.

Photo via Alt National Park Service: upside down flag hung by employees at Yosemite National Park signals dire distress. February 25, 2025 (Washington D.C.) –

Virginia’s 22 National Park Service sites serve 22 million visitors annually, contributing $1.5 billion to local economies across the Commonwealth ~ WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.

Uncertainty over National Park Service staffing and services is leading to concern in communities that rely on visitors to fuel their economies.

One of them wondered: Is this related to what is happening in Washington and, in particular, what had happened the previous day around the country? On that Friday, the Trump administration fired about 1,000 National Park Service probationary employees.

On Tuesday, a group called 'Save Connecticut Avenue' called on the National Park Service to scrap plans to end reversible lanes on Rock Creek Parkway.