Yosemite National Park is bracing for a severe staffing shortage as it enters its busiest months, SF Gate reported.

A federal hiring freeze under President Donald Trump, rescinded job offers, and looming layoffs have left the park struggling. Its day-use reservation system, meant to ease crowding, also appears unlikely to return this year.

Adding to the uncertainty, Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon is preparing to retire.

The biggest concern, say current and former National Park Service employees, nonprofit leaders, and Yosemite experts, is that decades of conservation efforts are at risk.

On peak summer days, as many as 20,000 visitors descend on the park. Former Yosemite Superintendent Don Neubacher called the staffing situation “catastrophic.”

‘This Is Honestly Terrifying’

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my 55 years,” said Beth Pratt, a regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation.

“This is honestly terrifying,” said Elisabeth Barton, a founding member of Echo Adventure Cooperative, a tour operator near the park.

The crisis began Jan. 20, when Trump’s executive order froze federal hiring. Three days later, thousands of federal job offers, including for Park Service rangers and fee technicians, were rescinded. Despite exemptions for seasonal employees, no corrective action was taken.

On Feb. 6, additional job offers for law enforcement rangers, wildland firefighters, and EMTs were rescinded. While some were later re-extended, the extent remains unclear.

“There’s a lot of fear right now, but nobody even knows who is making these decisions anymore,” said a Yosemite employee, speaking anonymously.

Read more at SF Gate.