Visitor safety and wildlife protection have been jeopardized by the firing of thousands of federal employees, according to a lawsuit/NPS file

A coalition of organizations, including the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists, on Wednesday sued the Trump administration over the firings of thousands of federal workers, arguing that it risks visitor safety and wildlife protection in national parks and forests.

The lawsuit, also supported by the Organization of Chinese Americans and the Japanese American Citizens League, said the loss of National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service employees "are having terrible impacts, affecting visitors’ safety, wildlife protection, wildfire prevention, and proper maintenance at all public lands."

“American families are already feeling the effects of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s careless and illegal cuts to our federal workforce. Firefighters and forest management staff have been dismissed as families remain on edge from the threats wildfires pose," said Ben Jealous, the Sierra Club's executive director. "Families wanting to enjoy our national parks, forests and monuments are being welcomed with closed signs, long lines, and unmaintained trails–before the parks’ busiest season has even begun.

"Without the workers to staff and support our public lands, communities will face more dangerous and deadly fires, park visitors will face unsafe conditions, and local economies that rely on national parks will struggle," he continued. "Only Trump and Musk would try to threaten America’s best idea. We are taking [the Department of Government Efficiency] to court to defend Americans’ ability to safely and freely access the landscapes that unite us.”

Filed by the Campaign Legal Center, the lawsuit (attached below) argues that President Trump and Musk lack the authority to downsize the federal workforce in the manner they've deployed.

"Our system of checks and balances does not permit the president or an unelected megadonor to unilaterally control the federal budget. Americans must be protected from destructive, illegal and unconstitutional DOGE actions,” said Trevor Potter, the center's president. “Elon Musk, the president’s biggest political donor, is recklessly interfering with the work of the federal government, threatening our safety and our well-being. For the sake of our clients and preserving democracy, we call for an immediate end to this unconstitutional power grab.”