SACRAMENTO, Calif. — There’s nothing better than waking up in the beautiful Tahoe National Forest, said camper and volunteer camp host Patricia Bacoccini and her husband.

“You got the squirrels, you got the birds," Bacoccini said. "We had the eagle fly yesterday, a bald eagle. That was cool."

The Idaho natives are volunteering as camp hosts for the second year in the Tahoe National Forest and said things are a little different this year due to federal cuts.

“Usually, people buy firewood here [from camp hosts]," Bacoccini said. "But this year, with the cutbacks, they don't have the extra people that can go out and cut it and split it and, you know, deliver it to the spots. They decided that they're not going to do the firewood because they don't have the extra hands for it.”

Bacoccini noted that last year, they sold all their firewood twice over in two months before a fire ban was put in place, and said it was a good earner for the campsite.

As part of their host duties, upkeep of toilets is also expected, usually just on weekends, Bacoccini noted. But because of federal cuts, that's changed, too.

“They used to do Monday through Friday," she said. "And then we would just do the weekend. But with the cutbacks, you know, they don't have the extra staff like they had last year.”

Bacoccini added that they’ll now have to do Fridays as well.

In February, the U.S. Forest Service and National parks fired thousands of probationary workers as part of cost-saving measures.

While many due to a court order have been rehired, the National Federation of Federal Employees union said, many of them and other staff took other jobs or deferred resignation offered by the government.

U.S. Forest employees said people will notice heavily reduced ranger district office hours in the Tahoe National Forest, as front office staff took the deferred resignation due to the uncertainty of them being able to keep their positions — and because there is a hiring freeze.

With fewer people having to do more jobs, employees said people may notice bathroom and trash facilities not attended to as often.

It’s a similar situation in National Parks like Yosemite, which has seen long car lines at entrance gates due to staffing issues, said former Yosemite National Park Supervisor Don Neubauer, who is still in regular contact with park staff.

“I heard a hydrologist and a vegetation specialist, that should be doing their own job, are working the entrance gates," Neubauer said. "Just to try to reduce the frustration that people are finding when they come to those gates.”

The National Parks Conservation nonprofit reports that staffing numbers from the Department of Interior show National Parks are down over 3,600 people.

Regional director Neal Desai said not only are they down fulltime staff, but also seasonal workers.

"The Park Service said they would hire 7,700 seasonal employees," Desai said. "They have hired around 3,300 seasonal employees, who are extremely important for a national park system. Almost half the workforce in Yosemite during the summer are from seasonal employees. And that's, again, that's impacting the ability for the right type of work to happen in our parks."

The work Desai is talking about is research that isn't being carried out to make sure the health of the parks is intact, as well as work on cultural sites.

Steve Gutierrez, a national representative for the National Federation of Federal Employees union, noted that many workers that took deffered resignation play important roles in the case of wildfires.

"When wildfires do happen, they do all the logistical support," Gutierrez said. "The planning, all the financials, all the backing that helps support these brave men and women that are out on the front lines."

Employees stated that as far as things running as smoothly as can be, now is the best time. But as the summer progresses, so will any issues.

For Bacoccini, she said that at her camp site, she will do what’s necessary to keep things humming — and she’s crossing fingers there aren’t any other changes.