Love for America’s national parks, monuments, forests, and other public lands spans state boundaries, transcends political lines, and brings together people from all walks of life. This year, public lands and public land stewards began to experience significant threats from the Administration and Congress - firings of park rangers and other land managers, funding freezes and cuts, erasure of our history and stories, and a larger push to privatize and develop our shared spaces to benefit billionaires and corporate polluters. In response, the people showed up with an outpouring of love and support.
Throughout the month of March, rallies and teach-ins across the country were not led by any single group, but emerged through the organizing work of grassroots leaders like the Resistance Rangers (a coalition of off-duty and terminated public land agency employees advocating for public lands), small and large organizations including the Sierra Club, and everyday people standing up for land, community, and justice.
The following stories offer a glimpse into how this movement took shape on the ground. These are just a few of the many events that brought people together to speak out, protect public lands, and build a more inclusive and just future for the outdoors.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument – March 1 | Colorado
Photo by Chris Applegate
With the help of the Pikes Peak Sierra Club group, dozens of activists from Colorado Springs, Teller County and other Colorado regions gathered at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument to protest the cuts in federal staffing at parks, monuments and beyond. Jim Lockhart, a representative of Pikes Peak Sierra Club, voiced his disappointment regarding the cuts. "They've never been overstaffed. They've always been underpaid, overworked, paid in sunsets. To say you can lay people off left and right? It's really nonsense.” Read more: "Rising voices at Florissant Fossil Beds, call to protect parks and jobs."
Gettysburg National Military Park – March 1 | Pennsylvania
Photos by Jackie Ostfeld
Around 40 people joined a rally organized by the Resistance Rangers at Gettysburg National Military Park. Sierra Club Outdoors for All Campaign Director Jackie Ostfeld attended the rally with her parents and her kids. “It was so powerful to be on the grounds where the Union Army beat back the Confederacy and where Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address, as we contemplate the times we are living in. Standing on a dedicated 1st Amendment site within the park was a stark reminder of the role our parks play in preserving our history and upholding our democracy,” she said of the event.
Red River Gorge National Geological Area – March 1 | Kentucky
Photos by Gerry Seavo James
Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter members attended a Resistance Rangers-led rally in the Red River Gorge Geological Area of the Daniel Boone National Forest to stand in solidarity against the mass firings impacting federal land management agencies. Among those affected was a longtime and dedicated forest steward of the Red River Gorge. Gerry Seavo James, deputy director of the Sierra Club Outdoors for All Campaign, joined family and friends at the rally attended by around 30 people.
Rocky Mountain National Park – March 1 | Colorado
Photos courtesy of Chris Applegate
The Sierra Club Colorado Chapter joined Resistance Rangers and other partners outside Rocky Mountain National Park to rally against the firing of federal park and land management employees. This rally was one of the most attended ones, with over 800 people there to show support, including Dorothy Gibbs, a 97-year-old woman who was a longtime volunteer with the park.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area – March 1 | California
Photos by Roberto Morales
Hundreds showed up at the rally in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area near Malibu in support of laid off NPS staff, including Sierra Club Angeles Chapter staff and volunteers.. People across generations attended, showing that support for the affected public lands staff and for our public lands and national parks is not limited by age.
Yellowstone National Park – March 1 | Montana
Photo by Nick Gevock
Around 200 people attended a public lands rally at Roosevelt Arch outside Yellowstone National Park, including Sierra Club staff and volunteers. Attendees showed up with handmade signs and a large banner declaring that “Yellowstone is not for sale.” The event took place on the 153rd anniversary of the creation of Yellowstone – America’s first national park.
Channel Islands National Park – March 5 | California
The Sierra Club Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter joined a “Support Our Channel Islands National Park” event outside the park’s visitor center, marking the 45th anniversary of the park’s designation. Chumash elder Julie Tumamait-Stenslie spoke about her people’s deep ancestral connection to the islands and the cultural and ecological risks posed by weakened protections. Retired park superintendent Russell Galipeau and marine ecologist Kenan Chan, who spent nearly a decade working on the islands, also shared their insights. The event served as a powerful reminder of what’s at stake should the National Park Service's role be diminished.
Public Lands Rally – March 7 | New Mexico
A combined force of some 300 outdoor lovers, hunters and anglers, students and scientists converged at New Mexico's state capitol to voice their concerns about threats to public lands, national forests and climate science.
The messages were all connected to the announcements of mass firings of federal employees and the threats to proper management of public lands due to across the board agency vacancy rates of 30% or higher, and the loss of critical research funding related to climate change.
Citizens encircled the Roundhouse with signs and speakers spoke of their personal connections with public lands - as a "grocery store" to feed families with deer meat, fish and pinon nuts; as a sanctuary for returning military needing to erase triggering memories; and as a natural world where anyone can enter to find beauty and renewal.
The rally moved indoors for legislators to take the podium along with State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, to offer the crowd assurances of the continued protection of New Mexico's 13 million acres of state lands along with the assistance the public-private partnerships can provide to national parks, monuments and forests.
Many wildlife, environmental and science organizations have filed lawsuits against the current administration over the mass termination of federal funding and federal employees essential to managing public lands
Chuckwalla National Monument – March 22 | California
Photos by Kyle Grillot
Organized by the Resistance Rangers Joshua Tree, hundreds of community members gathered to rally in support of the Chuckwalla National Monument. It was a powerful and diverse group of elected officials, business leaders, community organizations, veterans, outdoor enthusiasts, local residents, and Chairman Emeritus Thomas Tortez of the Torres Martinez Tribe. Sierra Club’s San Gorgonio, San Diego, and Angeles chapters helped mobilize supporters to turn out, and they did! Over 250 people showed up - even in 95 degree heat!
Great Falls National Park – March 22 | Virginia
Photo by Cheri Conca
Dozens of local residents brought handmade signs to a Protect the Parks national demonstration at Great Falls National Park to show their support for national parks and their workers. Sierra Club staff supported the rally organized by the Resistance Rangers, with Sierra Club Outdoors for All Campaign Director Jackie Ostfeld and Virginia Chapter’s conservation program manager Cheri Conca joining nearly 40 other people there.
Rally for Public Lands at State Capitol – March 22 | Idaho
Photos by Chelsea Smith
The Idaho Chapter joined Conservation Voters for Idaho and Idaho Conservation League to organize the Idaho Rally for Public Lands at the Idaho Capitol. Over a thousand Idahoans from across the state donned their hiking, hunting, or fishing gear—some even riding their horses!—to rally in support of keeping public lands in public hands. The crowd reminded state leaders that these public lands are the core of Idaho’s identity and economy, and are not for sale, not today nor for generations to come.
Rally for Water and Public Lands at State Capitol – March 22 | Kentucky
Photos by Gerry Seavo James
Organized by Kentucky Chapter staff Julia Finch and Sarah Reeves, along with Outdoors for All Deputy Director Gerry Seavo James, the rally brought over 100 Kentuckians to the Capitol steps on World Water Day to defend clean water, public lands, and outdoor access. Originally planned as a public lands rally, the event was reshaped in response to the passage of SB 89, a bill that threatens Kentucky’s waterways and weakens environmental protections. Attendees shared powerful stories and also filled out 114 individual postcards to 43 Kentucky representatives asking them to prioritize clean water by upholding the Governor’s veto of SB 89. These postcards were hand-delivered to Capitol offices.
Walk/Rally for Our National Parks and Public Lands at Harry Truman NPS Site – March 22 | Missouri
Photo courtesy of Eileen McManus
Sierra Club Missouri Chapter’s Thomas Hart Benton Group Outings leader Eileen McManus organized a rally and walking outing at the Harry S Truman Historic Site as part of the nationwide call to action to protect our parks and public lands. Around 20 people attended the rally and walk bearing handmade signs declaring their support for our parks and rangers.
Rally for Public Lands at State Capitol – March 27 | Arizona
Photos courtesy of Sandy Bahr
Despite the early heat, more than 300 Arizonans showed up to a rally organized by the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter and a diverse coalition of organizations from across Arizona to demand public land protections. A range of speakers shared their messages, including Carletta Tilousi from the Havasupai Tribe, who shared wisdom from her elders on why we must protect the Grand Canyon and its waters and who called on everyone to help keep the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of Grand Canyon National Monument intact. She also made a point of recognizing the late Congressman Raul Grijalva and how he worked with the Tribes to make the monument a reality. Also among the speakers was DJ Portugal from Chispa AZ, who emphasized the importance of access to public lands for all communities and future generations; and trail advocates like Rebeca Rodriguez, who shed light on some of the heartbreaking impacts of defunding environmental programs and the challenges public land workers are facing.