Recently, Timpanogos Cave National Monument became “eleventy-one” as the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, proclaimed himself at the grand party in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of the Ring.” But unlike Bilbo, Timpanogos’ 111th passed by without as much as a birthday song. The monument is closed. Passionate monument stewards with the National Park Service cannot officially undertake their responsibilities as long as the majority in Congress refuses to invest in public servants. While the government is shut down more than 29,000 national public land stewards are furloughed, wondering if the Trump Administration will withhold their back pay or fire them.
The Trump administration started to shut down our government services long before Congress blew past its government funding deadline. They fired 25 percent of National Park public servants, alongside massive layoffs at the VA, Education, Health and Human Services, EPA, and Social Security Administration — departments and agencies with the highest percentage of women employees. They also presented Congress a budget that eviscerated public land science, recreation and stewardship funding.
The caring people who lead Timpanogos Cave tours, manage reservations and maintain our national public lands are our neighbors. In this country, everyone has the right to a fair opportunity to care for their families through a career in public service and environmental stewardship.
At his party Bilbo declared, “I don’t know half of you as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you as well as you deserve.” That is the message elected and appointed officials are sending to public servants. My birthday wish for Timpanogos Cave National Monument is dignity and respect for all its stewards and visitors for the next 111 years so we all may freely learn and grow on our public lands.
Olivia E. Juarez, Salt Lake City
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