Marching through the Roosevelt Arch, at the Park’s North entrance about 200 people gathered with signs and flags to show support for federal public lands and recently fired employees.
The event took place on the 153rd anniversary of the creation of Yellowstone–America’s first national park.
Richard Midgette, a recently fired Yellowstone National Park employee, helped organize the event.
“We’re not just protecting our parks for the next 100 years, we're trying to protect our parks for generations and generations” Midgette said.
Midgette was hired in December to work in Information Technology within the park and was one of an estimated 1,000 probationary employees across the park service that was fired on February 14th.
Gardiner resident , April Mead came to show support wearing a Yellowstone hat and holding a handmade sign.
“I'm here because I can't imagine a world without the parks in the public lands I really can't I feel like this is the first step in many steps to take these away from us “ Mead said.
Mead says she worries that the effects will ripple beyond the parks to the gateway communities that rely on the over $600 million dollars spent annually by visitors to Yellowstone.
“Park bottom line brings in more money than it costs to protect this park” Mead said.
