Over the last week, the Trump administration laid off thousands of federal employees from multiple agencies including the Forest Service and National Park Service.
This has already had impacts on recreation, but the biggest impacts are still to come. Here is what Cascade Backcountry Alliance knows, and what you can do to make a difference.
What We Know
At least 3,400 employees of the Forest Service and 2,300 employees from the Department of Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, have been laid off. This represents approximately 10% of the entire Forest Service workforce (sources: High Country News and Seattle Times).
Most employees were let go by email last Friday, February 14th, or over President’s Day Weekend. The layoffs occurred indiscriminately and managers were not given proper notice about the changes.
Our local forests have been hit particularly hard. Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest lost 36 employees, or about 30% of its workforce. Approximately 260 Forest Service employees between Oregon and Washington were cut.
The job cuts targeted primarily seasonal employees and probationary employees, which are those employees who have been at their current job for less than a year. Many probationary employees have been with the Forest Service for many years, but recently switched jobs or got promoted. These seasonal and probationary employees are disproportionately “boots on the ground” workers, maintaining trails and roads, fighting fires, and removing trash.
Impacts
The layoffs have already had an immediate impact on recreation and access to public lands. The Franklin Falls Sno-Park is closed indefinitely because the North Bend Ranger District does not have the staff to operate it. Visitors can still park at Exit 47 to access the falls, but this adds 5 miles roundtrip. Grooming at the Salmon La Sac and Goose Egg Sno-Parks has also been halted.
These impacts likely only represent the tip of the iceberg. As time goes on, we expect to see more impacts to recreation. For example, the Wenatchee District Wilderness Rangers, who manage trash and human waste in the Enchantments, were laid off. In addition to recreation impacts, the Forest Service’s ability to prevent and fight wildfires will be severely reduced.
If you witness other impacts due to the layoffs, please reach out to Cascade Backcountry Alliance so that we can make these impacts more visible to our leaders.
What You Can Do
1 - Write to Your Elected Officials
We encourage you to use this form, provided by our partner Outdoor Alliance, to contact your elected officials (Senators and Representative), emphasizing how damaging these changes are. The form provides a template letter, but feel free to customize it, including specific impacts or places that are important to you.
2 - Call Your Elected Officials
If you have more time to give, we encourage you to call your elected officials. This will have even more impact than a form letter.
You can use a call script like this:
Hello, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling to express the importance for [SEN/REP NAME] to fight against the Forest Service layoffs. These employees were incredibly important for recreation, wildfire reduction, and environmental protection on our public lands. I ask [SEN/REP NAME] to restore these roles so that the Forest Service can continue to steward our lands.
Thank you for your consideration.
If leaving a voicemail, be sure to include your full street address to ensure your message is counted.
3 - Follow Cascade Backcountry Alliance
Cascade Backcountry Alliance is working with partners and land managers to mitigate the impact of these cuts. Please subscribe to our email list and follow us on social media so you can stay up to date.
Additionally, share this article and our social media posts to others in the community. Encourage others to make their voice heard. Every voice counts!
4 - Be Respectful and Kind
More than ever, it is important to be a mindful recreator. Leave no trace, pick up trash, and educate others about how they can make a difference. Be kind and patient to land managers in this difficult situation.
Thank you so much for staying engaged and making a difference on this issue!
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