November 17th 2024.
Next year, the state of Colorado may see a decrease in the number of people who are able to put out abandoned campfires, maintain trails, and prevent wildfires. This is due to a federal hiring freeze on seasonal U.S. Forest Service workers, which is expected to impact 156 temporary positions across the state. These workers play a crucial role in tasks such as wildfire prevention and education, managing campsites, conducting biological fieldwork, and constructing and maintaining trails.
The impact of this freeze will be keenly felt in the central mountains of Colorado, where the majority of land is managed by the Forest Service and is a major source of recreation and tourism. Local government leaders are concerned about the staffing reductions, as they have invested significant resources in paying for these seasonal positions. With the freeze in place, these paid-for positions may remain vacant, putting previous agreements at risk.
Gary Tennenbaum, the open space and trails director for Pitkin County, expressed his concern, saying, "We're really concerned. We'd lose pretty significant capacity to manage recreation in the county." The hiring freeze was announced by U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore in September, as a result of a potential budget cut of $500 million for the agency in the upcoming fiscal year. Moore stated that with fewer employees, the agency would not be able to accomplish the same amount of work and would focus on doing what they can with the resources they have.
The Forest Service manages approximately one-fifth of Colorado's land, including popular recreation areas like Brainard Lake, the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and the Maroon Bells Scenic Area. In some counties, such as Pitkin, the majority of the land is managed by the Forest Service. In 2018, Summit County voters passed a property tax increase to fund critical needs in the community, including wildfire mitigation. Commissioner Tamara Pogue stated that the county has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars from this tax increase to pay for Forest Service seasonal crews, with over 80% of the land in the county being managed by the agency.
Pogue also highlighted the impact of the shortfall in staffing, saying, "Six years ago, we recognized that the USFS was understaffed, and despite paying for these positions, they're about to go away again." The Forest Service is currently operating under a continuing resolution, with a spending bill still being considered by Congress. In light of this, Donna Nemeth, a spokesperson for the Rocky Mountain Region of the Forest Service, stated that decisions are being made to plan for a budget-limited environment in the upcoming fiscal year.
The regional office will freeze three positions, while the numbers of frozen positions in each Colorado national forest are as follows: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (29), Rio Grande National Forest (12), Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland (28), Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron-Comanche National Grasslands (31), San Juan National Forest (23), and White River National Forest (30). The cuts will not affect wildland firefighting positions, but will limit essential wildfire mitigation work, such as fuel reduction and clearing of dead brush. This freeze will also result in fewer people being available to ensure campfires are properly extinguished and to educate campers on fire restrictions and safety.
Pogue stressed the importance of these seasonal workers, saying, "They are the fundamental strategies that keep our community safe," and noted that 90% of fires in Summit County begin as campfires that were not properly extinguished. She expressed concern about the lack of Forest Service presence on the ground and the potential for more rule-breaking and wildfires.
Similarly, in Eagle County, which is mostly covered by the White River National Forest, the county and towns spend around $160,000 per year on a crew of temporary seasonal workers. These workers have been responsible for conducting patrols in busy areas, cleaning up trash, and educating people about how to be responsible stewards of the land. Without these workers, there is a worry that more people will break rules, leading to an increased risk of wildfires. The county is considering working with youth corps or nonprofits to complete some of the work that is normally handled by the seasonal employees.
All three counties are working with Forest Service officials to find alternative solutions to fill the workforce gap. Pitkin County has provided $125,000 per year to fund three seasonal positions for the last four years, which has been used to manage a busy river put-in, motorized recreation on Richmond Ridge, and crowds on popular Independence Pass. Tennenbaum stated, "I know they're in a pickle, but it's a tough one. We're happy to continue the conversations. We just ask that they don't make a unilateral decision."
The Forest Service is open to considering exemptions from the freeze, but it is a high bar to meet. Nemeth said, "We also hope to have more hiring options in the coming year if additional funding becomes available. As you can see, we are working diligently to ensure that we are able to do this critical work." To stay updated on Colorado news, you can sign up for the Mile High Roundup email newsletter.
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