Staffing cuts at U.S. National Park Service prompt a superintendent's resignation

NEW YORK, June 2 (Xinhua) -- When Kevin Heatley took over as superintendent of Crater Lake National Park in January, he was excited to oversee one of U.S. state of Oregon's most iconic sites, whose stunning vistas and volcanic formations attract roughly half a million visitors each year.

"But after less than five months on the job, Heatley hung up his ranger's uniform on Friday, citing the Trump administration's staffing cuts at the National Park Service as a major reason for his decision to take a buyout offer," reported The Washington Post on Monday about the move.

"It is really not an easy decision and not something I take lightly to walk away from Crater Lake," the 64-year-old was quoted as saying. "But I'm tired of waking up at 3 in the morning and not being able to fall back asleep because I'm concerned about how I'm going to navigate the latest staffing communiqué."

"Even as Elon Musk leaves the Trump administration, the U.S. DOGE Service's purge of federal employees is continuing to upend the lives of Park Service workers," noted the report. "It also threatens to undermine the visitor experience at national parks across the country this summer, when visitation is expected to peak."