National Forests at Risk: Why Every Role in the USFS Matters
I think it’s safe to assume that almost everyone in the United States knows Smokey the Bear. Having just celebrated his 80th birthday, Smokey has been the constant face reminding us that “Only you can prevent forest fires.” While we may all be familiar with this bear and his mission, we may not be as familiar with the organization he is a mascot for: the United States Forest Service (USFS).
Fun Fact: Smokey the Bear is the longest-running public service announcement in American history.
In recent weeks, harsh layoffs in our National Parks have dominated the spotlight (you can read more on that HERE), but they are not the only ones in the outdoor space to face these challenges. While 1000 National Park employees were removed, about 3,400 USFS “probationary, non-firefighting employees” were dismissed.
Our National Forests deserve the same amount of attention as our National Parks. They may potentially be at an even greater risk due to these staffing cuts. It’s important to understand which positions these layoffs impacted, the impacts, and how we can help.
Short on time? Here’s the Key Points!
The USFS: The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is essential for managing public lands and forests, with interconnected roles that maintain ecosystems, ensure safety, and support local economies.
Impact of Layoffs: Recent layoffs have led to the dismissal of thousands of USFS employees, including 50 in Lincoln National Forest, impacting fire prevention, maintenance, and community support.
Wildfire Response: Many non-firefighting USFS employees, like botanists and ecologists, play vital roles in fire prevention and recovery, which are now jeopardized due to the layoffs.
Ripple Effects:
- Maintenance: Trails, campsites, and facilities face neglect, posing risks to public safety and wildlife.
- Economy: Local economies suffer as poorly maintained forests attract fewer visitors.
- Environment: Reduced monitoring increases risks of invasive species, water contamination, and changes in ecosystems.
- Safety: Delayed emergency responses in vast forest areas could endanger visitors.
How to Help:
- Advocacy: Contact Congress to voice concerns about the layoffs and their consequences.
- Volunteer: Support your local forests by volunteering, even part-time.
- Stewardship: Follow leave-no-trace principles and alert authorities to issues you notice on public lands.
- Donate: Contribute to initiatives supporting the USFS and its programs.
- Spread Awareness: Share stories and educate others about the importance of protecting public lands.
Call to Action: Protecting our national forests requires collective action—advocacy, volunteering, and responsible stewardship are crucial to preserving these lands for future generations.
The Staffing Cuts:
On February 14th, 2025 thousands of USFS employees were notified that they no longer had jobs. Many given the reason that “The [Forest Service] Agency finds, based on your [the employee’s] performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest,”.
Many are quick to point out that none of these employees were operational firefighters. However, this does not mean that their work was unnecessary or that none of them worked in fire prevention, more on that later. Also, as I highlighted in my last post, probationary does not necessarily mean brand new. There are various timelines for probationary periods within the forest system, some lasting a year or longer. It can even refer to someone who has worked for USFS for many years but recently moved into a new role.
In February, an article from ABC News highlighted the experience of a recently laid-off employee of the USFS. He was dismissed for being a ‘probationary range ecologist’, despite his 13 years of total experience as a botanist, wildfire resource adviser, and range ecologist.
This former staff member’s story is unfortunately not unique. Many people have been wrongfully laid off without regard for how their work impacted our public spaces. Now, with many holes within the USFS staffing, it will not be long before we start seeing its full effects.
The USFS:
The United States Forest Service was first established by Congress in 1905, to manage water quality and timber for our country. Over time, it expanded to cover additional responsibilities, such as the sustained yield of renewable resources including water, forage, wildlife, wood, and recreation.
There are many different roles within the USFS that all play a key part in managing and protecting our public spaces. These jobs range from resource management positions, which include forestry and timber, mapping and GIS, and even physical sciences; to visitor services, like recreation management and trail and facility maintenance and science and resources, think landscape restoration and sustainable forest management. These are just a few of the vital roles these employees play in keeping these spaces properly maintained.
Forest Fires:
A large and important role that may come to mind for many of us when we think of the USFS is that of the firefighters.
Over the past few years, there have been multiple instances where we’ve watched in horror as wildfires have destroyed people’s homes and livelihoods. The most recent being this past January in California. But, speaking from my own experience, June of 2024 was harsh for New Mexico. Two fires caused devastating impacts on the village of Ruidoso. Thousands of acres were burned, about 1,400 structures were damaged, and two people tragically lost their lives.
I remember many Ruidoso residents fleeing to our town at the bottom of the mountain. They were seeking supplies and places to stay. It was truly amazing to see our community rally together. While this was helpful for the evacuees, the BAER (Burned Area Emergency Response) team, made up of USFS workers, were the ones actually battling the flames.
According to the USDA website, “BAER teams are staffed by specially trained professionals: hydrologists, soil scientists, engineers, biologists, vegetation specialists, archeologists, and others who rapidly evaluate the burned area and prescribe emergency stabilization treatments. A BAER assessment usually begins before the wildfire has been fully contained.”
Most of the highly-qualified professionals mentioned above are not categorized as ‘firefighting employees’. However, they clearly play a crucial role in fire prevention and treatment. Despite their importance, the layoffs still affected them, leaving their positions unprotected.
It’s a misconception that an employee with the title of “maintenance worker” or “sustainable forest management”, never actually sees or works with fires or other natural disasters. But this is just simply not the case. Maintenance workers, who manage and maintain the trails, are often the ones putting out abandoned campfires, and noting anything threatening or hazardous to the area. Sustainable forest management employees use their research to create fire prevention strategies to stop wildfires altogether or control further spreading. Just to give some brief examples.
The loss of these critical positions has caused a ripple effect, as every role within the USFS is deeply interconnected. Wildfire season is not the only time we will feel these impacts. However, it seems to be what comes up most often when we talk about these layoffs. I believe it is important to address and it deserves its own section.
The Current and Future Impacts of these Layoffs:
Since Lincoln National Forest is pretty much my backyard, I have had an up-close look at some of the consequences of these staff cuts. The layoffs impacted fifty employees. Leaving the already understaffed 1,103,897 acres of land in an even more dire situation. And just like with the roles within the USFS system, these impacts will have a ripple effect. An individual issue may not seem all that large, but you can be sure, that “smaller” issue leads to something more.
1. Lack of Maintenance: Many trails and campsites may fall into disarray. It may be much harder to navigate a trial or find where to pitch a tent. We can expect there to be overgrowth, litter, and other disruptions present (think animal waste, rocks, and branches). Also, unclean bathrooms and overflowing trashcans are a real possibility. Not only is it unattractive to look at and creates more litter, but this can attract wild animals. These animals then become accustomed to seeking food from these spots. This can be dangerous for both humans and wildlife.
2. Economic Decline: In many small towns surrounded by a national forest, like where I currently live, the USFS provides thousands of jobs to fuel the local economy. It provides an income to the employees, and it helps the surrounding businesses thrive. Our public spaces bring in hikers, campers, and others coming out to enjoy recreational activities. This is an example of the ripple effect discussed earlier. Poorly managed spaces are less desirable to visit. A disheveled trail or campsite with locked bathrooms won’t attract the average day hiker or weekend camper.
3. Environmental Impacts: Many roles within the USFS involve researching and conserving the ecosystems within our public lands. Without proper monitoring, we are more likely to miss changes within these environments. We can expect this to affect the plants and animals, and the communities surrounding these areas as well. This includes issues such as bacteria in the water, abnormal behavior in wildlife, or invasive species.
4. Safety: We already covered quite a few reasons above how these layoffs may impact your safety, but another big issue is the lack of emergency response. Because these areas are so large, people often lose their way or become stranded in the wilderness after an injury. With fewer people monitoring these public spaces, it will take much longer for help to find anyone who meets these unfortunate circumstances.
What you can do to help:
Advocacy:
Your voice matters, and it deserves to be heard! We make more noise when we share our concerns and stories.
Find your Congress representative HERE and send them an email, or call!
If you’re unsure of how to structure a letter like this, there are pre-made templates through the NPCA about the National Parks, but it would only take a few minutes to edit to fit your similar concerns for our National Forests. You can find an example HERE.
Calls are extremely impactful. I recommend using the same structure laid out in the article about the NPS.
- Research who your members of Congress are, and find out what they’re in support of. You can do that HERE.
- When you call you will speak to a staff member. Give your name, and address, and be specific on what you are calling about.
- Share a brief reason why this matter is important to YOU and why it should matter to THEM.
- Thank them for their time.
- Follow up in a week or so!
Volunteer:
Now more than ever our National Forests need volunteers with a wide variety of skills and expertise. Remember, volunteering doesn’t have to be a full-time commitment. One day a week, or every other weekend can have a huge impact! You can check HERE or HERE for opportunities.
Stewardship:
When exploring our National Forests or any public lands, do your part! Always follow the principles of leave no trace. You can learn more about this in an article I wrote HERE. While being mindful of your own impact, be willing to go a step beyond that. If you see trash on the ground, pick it up. If you see something that raises concern, contact your local Forest Service- they probably have no idea! It doesn’t take much to help, and we never want to assume someone else will handle it.
Donate:
If you’re in a position to, donation go such a long way! These funds not only help to maintain these areas but also help keep various programs the USFS has up and running. Think natural resource work, Youth Conservation Corps, and collaborative work with universities nationally and internationally. The USFS isn’t just a large plot of trees (which are still very important), it’s an organization encompassing numerous facets of research and environmental work that impacts all of us, whether we realize it or not. If you’re interested, you can click HERE to donate.
Spread Awareness:
We must keep talking about these issues and the impacts they have. I know, especially in current times, it can be very intimidating to be vocal about topics with polarized perspectives. It may feel as if people with opposing opinions are just waiting to shut you down. But our public spaces have made an impact at some point or another on most people in this country, regardless of beliefs or backgrounds.
There are spaces within this country that are meant to be kept sacred for us and future generations. Spread awareness with kindness and share your personal stories or educational facts that you find the most impactful. Many people don’t yet understand the implications of these layoffs, so it is of the utmost importance to shed light on it!
Final Thoughts:
It’s impossible to capture in one article all of the vital and necessary work that the USFS does. Each role within this organization is interconnected, and every position plays an essential part in maintaining our public lands. If these layoffs remain in effect- or if more are allowed to occur- the consequences will be severe for the environment, the humans who visit, and the surrounding communities.
Our national forests need us to be their advocates, and every one of us can make a difference. By leaving our public spaces better than we found them, voicing our concerns to Congress, and spreading awareness, we can help protect the future of our lands. It’s easy to assume something as grand as a national forest will always be there, but the only way to truly ensure their preservation is by taking action today.
Sources to check out.
