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The Trump administration is restoring jobs for dozens of employees fired amid government-wide reductions following an uproar over an aggressive plan to downsize the agency. The administration is also planning on hiring nearly 3,000 additional seasonal workers.

At least 50 jobs are being restored to help maintain and clean parks, educate visitors and collect admission fees, according to two people familiar with the agency’s plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The moves come as the park service said in a new memo that it will hire up to 7,700 seasonal positions this year, up from about 5,000 promised earlier this week and higher than the three-year average of 6,350 seasonal workers. The park service has about 20,000 employees.

Lawmakers and advocacy groups have criticized the widespread layoffs as unnecessary and a threat to public safety and the parks themselves.

“These roles are critical to protecting America鈥檚 treasured natural assets, maintaining public safety and promoting exceptional standards,” a letter signed by Virginia’s two Democratic senators and six Democratic House members stated.

“If these directives are not reversed, we fear it will significantly undermine the Park Service鈥檚 ability to protect both visitors and park resources, particularly as we approach peak visitation season,” they wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

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Jake and Spike on Trump’s decision to lay off National Park Service workers

But how important is each National Park Service job?

Specifically in Washington, Spike O’Neill, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show” on 成人X站 Newsradio said six people were fired at Mount Rainier National Park.

“The six that they fired were the gatekeepers at the south entrance, where 90% of the tourists come in,” Spike said.

Spike also mentioned that, in Yosemite, the Trump administration laid off the one locksmith who could help bail people out of locker situations or help in an emergency.

“Let’s make smart cuts,” he said.

However, Jake Skorheim, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show,” countered, asking, “Is that a dumb cut? Is firing a locksmith a dumb cut?”

“Yes, they got one,” Spike said.

“Your job is literally to carry around a set of keys, why not just get some extra keys printed?” Jake responded.

“OK, that’s fine,” Spike rebutted. “Then, let’s assess the situation.”

“I think they did,” Jake said.

To listen to the full conversation, click the player below:

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Concern about National Park Service layoffs was bipartisan

Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said she’s worried that Acadia National Park will “not be able to hire the seasonal employees required to collect entrance fees and perform other essential tasks such as maintaining trails and providing first responder services to visitors.”

During warm-weather months, seasonal workers are routinely added to serve more than 325 million visitors who descend on the nation鈥檚 433 parks, historic sites and other attractions yearly. Park advocates say the permanent staff cuts will leave hundreds of national parks 鈥� including some of the most well-known and most heavily visited sites 鈥� understaffed and facing tough decisions about operating hours, public safety and resource protection.

A spokesperson for the Interior Department declined to comment Friday. No one at the park service responded to an email from The Associated Press.

While the plan to hire more seasonal workers is welcome, “it will take a while to get to the number of seasonals hired to avoid some of the impacts we’ve talked about,” said Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers and a former superintendent of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.

Job offers to thousands of seasonal workers were rescinded in recent days, and not all of them will be rehired, Wade and other advocates said. Some permanent employees who were laid off were in human resources and would have been involved in hiring and training seasonal employees.

鈥淚’m celebrating because eventually they will be hired, but I’m leery to say everything’s been fixed,” Wade said Friday, noting that the layoffs and confusion over seasonal employment came after an unknown number of park workers agreed to leave the agency in deferred resignations offered by the Trump administration.

“There’s no real staffing plan. It’s chaotic, and there’s no leadership from the secretary of the Interior,” said Tim Whitehouse, executive director of the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

Burgum “needs to step up and make sure these parks are operating at full capacity this spring and summer,” Whitehouse said. Problems are likely at parks that are popular in the spring, such as Zion National Park in Utah, park advocates said.

“National parks are something that all Americans cherish, and the people making the decisions are disconnected from that reality,” Whitehouse said, referring to billionaire Elon Musk and a team of aides who have overseen an effort to fire thousands of federal workers.

President Donald Trump has not nominated a park service director, a position that requires Senate confirmation. Jessica Bowron, the agency鈥檚 comptroller, has been named acting director.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

Listen to 鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥�聽weekdays from noon-3 p.m. on 成人X站聽Newsradio, 97.3 FM.聽Subscribe to the podcast here.