February is one of the busiest times of the year for Yosemite National Park since guests want to witness the “fire fall” event, however this year crowds saw an upside-down American flag, in protest of employee budget cuts under Trump’s administration. The flag was hung at the top of El Capitan’s Horsetail Fall, a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation in Mariposa County, California, on Saturday, February 22nd.
Traditionally, an upside-down American flag is used as a sign of “dire distress,” according to the United States Flag Code. According to a CNN article, one of the workers, Gavin Carpenter spoke out about hanging the flag. Carpenter stated, “We’re bringing attention to what’s happening to the parks, which are every American’s properties. It’s super important we take care of them, and we’re losing people here, and it’s not sustainable if we want to keep the parks open”(Jackson and Paget, February 25th).
The Trump administration cut 1,000 jobs at the National Park Service in a push to cut federal bureaucracy and spending. Employees that were impacted said that these budget cuts will lead to longer lines, filthy bathrooms, and unsafe hiking and camping conditions.
Photographer Brittney Colt took a picture of the upside-down flag next to the fire fall. In an ABC article, she states, “‘This hit so close to home for me. I witnessed several of my friends lose their jobs overnight while leaving our public lands vulnerable. These people had very valuable jobs, such as Search and Rescue and keeping the restrooms and park clean for visitors. If we lose the public servants, the park experience will get only harder and potentially more dangerous for visitors,'”(Lenthang, February 24th).
