Photo: Yellowstone, National Park, Wyoming, USA – Courtesy of Getty Images by Manel Vinuesa

Acting National Park Service Director abruptly retires

On August 7, acting National Park Service Director David Vela abruptly announced he was retiring as head of the park service. He will be replaced by Margaret Everson, principal deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Vela had been with the park service for over 30 years and was the third acting director to serve under Trump. He was nominated for the position in 2018, though the nomination was never confirmed.

The announcement was met with surprise and criticism by many organizations that work to protect the national parks. “We thank David Vela for his decades of service to our national parks, and we look forward to learning more about Margaret Everson’s priorities for our parks and their staff,” Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for National Parks