With President Donald Trump significantly reducing jobs across the country, federal workers in the Pacific Northwest protect water and air quality and keep public lands open and clean, among thousands of people I’m in.
More still on the edges. The Trump administration is targeting probation employees who are not yet eligible for civil servant protection, including longtime employees who have recently been promoted. Many people were let go by email on Fridays or weekends.
These layoffs touched on many parts of the federal government, and in Washington, some of the early impacts included public land and environmental programs. Some federal agencies support further deeper reductions covering a wide range of services. These agents keep public lands clean, find lost hikers, fight wildfires, pick up flames after ripping towns, regulate toxic industries, and serve the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Helps to sell and distribute huge amounts of electricity to.
Signs of the Trump administration’s shootings and fundraising freeze have appeared throughout the region, and sometimes literally. Sound To Sound Greenway posted a photo of the signs stuck on the barricades as Franklin Falls and Denny Creek Trailhead were closed due to a massive termination of forest service employees. The site It will resume once it returns to the appropriate staffing level.”
Franklin Falls Snopark is closed indefinitely.
It is not yet clear how many federal workers have been fired or how many live in Washington. A lawsuit has been filed to suspend the layoffs. And members of Washington’s Congress are emitting smoke.
Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. called it a “Trump Hack Job.”
Rep. Kim Schrier of D-Sammamish said in X: “Forest Service layoffs are already hurting our community. Dozens of local employees are closing down due to a lack of jobs and sites like Denny Creek’s trailhead. And It’s only getting worse. The fire season is here.”
Trump and his allies say these cuts are meant to save money and run the government more efficiently, eliminating those the president disagrees politically. However, layoffs are unlikely to result in significant deficit savings. The Associated Press said that even if the government cut all staff in its most expensive sectors, it still has a deficit of over $1 trillion.
Let’s take a look at some of the impact of Trump’s widespread cuts in the Pacific Northwest.
environment
Union leader Helen Bocker, who retired in 2023, said the Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Northwest region (including Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska) has seen the end of two waves.
First, nine employees working on environmental justice issues were placed on administrative leave. An unknown number of probation employees were then fired by email on Valentine’s Day and told to leave the office by handing her badges and equipment.
Given warnings and more time, these agencies could potentially reduce staffing levels more effectively, Bottcher said. But they don’t have either.
“It’s just wrecking ball,” she said.
These ends are not counting employees who voluntarily resigned after making Trump’s “fork on the road fork,” with a promise to remain on federal salaries until September, Botcher said. Ta.
Employees who have left or leave the door work in multiple agency programs, including emergency oil and chemical spill reactions, cleaning toxic waste sites such as Hanford, and aviation and water programs. Ta.
Staff assigned to managed leave administering grants that support communities throughout the region and coordinate with state environmental agencies, including the Washington Ecological Agency.
“I’m worried that the public doesn’t know everything the government does for them and that they’re worried that they’ll learn the hard way,” Bocker said. Ta.
Federal Partners
These layoffs will hurt not only the federal agencies themselves, but those who depend on them.
Scientists at the University of Washington rely on datasets, satellite images, forecasts, weather forecasts and more from federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Geological Survey.
These important information helps people prepare for harsh weather, set fishing quotas, protect them from pollution, and protect endangered species. They are also important to scientists such as Beth Gardner, a professor at UW’s University of Environment, and analyze data and use their findings to help us in future use of our natural resources, animals and conservation. We protect against disasters.
“We are considering a direct attack on scientists,” Gardner said.
And the attacks are at their worst, Gardner said. The continuous burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and diesel, warms our atmosphere and exacerbates tragic events, from hurricanes to wildfires.
Historically, the work between these federal and public agencies has been rather cooperative, Gardner said. Both staff members have real applications, many researches, and have many researches together. But now that balance is changing as the federal side loses people and funds.
She said cutting back on locations such as forests and national park services will increase risks during the upcoming wildfire season and mean less conservation measures for lost hikers.
Additionally, the Bonneville Power Agency, which transmits and sells electricity from hydroelectric dams and transmission lines in the Pacific Northwest, has lost hundreds of employees through acquisitions, early retirements, retirements or solutions under the Trump administration. Washington state standards reported. .
Bonneville is funded by taxpayers, not by taxpayers.
“BPA is a huge part of ensuring that public power in the region can provide affordable and reliable energy,” said Kurt Miller, executive director of the Northwest Public Power Association. “The real concern from public utility companies is whether BPA can function with a lower level of staffing.”
Public land
For the Forest Service, the fire will be deployed when resources are thinned, along with Foresters, who work with tribal countries, state and local governments to ensure that wildfire prevention work extends to land ownership boundaries. Includes members of the militia firefighter. This includes cleaning up the trail, cleaning up human waste, and providing attractive hikers to those who don’t provide snacks or other help.
Kate White, a wilderness ranger who provides 340,000 acres in the Wenatchee River district, including the Enchantment, said everyone except her and one of her colleagues had been fired.
She has been working in districts that have been in temporary and seasonal roles since 2017. She has been in full-time since September 2023.
Each year, her team removes thousands of human waste, increasing an average of 8,000 pounds from Enchant’s bulk toilets.
“Unsightly, the public has to deal with it, but that’s awful for the ecosystem too,” White said.
All of the human waste is near the source of water, White said.
On any busy Saturday, these rangers will talk to over 1,000 people to make sure they are ready for the conditions and properly store their food to prevent wildlife conflicts. did.
And these rangers are there to step up when the firefighters are spreading thinly.
“We are entitled to assist in fire service operations and various roles. I helped by helping with advice and public information on our hand crew, engines and resources,” she said. “I want to say we are all merchants.”
Many people who support the fire program are not fire workers, said Matthew Brosard, national business representative for federal employees. “The real effect of what’s going on is very broad and honestly, it’s going to be pretty expensive.”
Region 6, which spans most of the Pacific Northwest, does not have a very large fire program, Brosard said. Instead, staff from other areas are eligible to step up and help with the fire.
Without a robust federal firefighter, state and local agencies may need to step up and fill in the void essentially, he said.
“The Forest Service alone has lost 10% of its staff, and these are all those who supported Wildland Fire,” said Tom Carvallar, the lead river ranger at Payette River Corridor in Idaho, who has concluded his position. did.
Carbahals usually patrol the river and save struggling swimmers, boats and more. During the 2024 fire season, he worked 300 hours of overtime to fight fires in his district. He has gained experience as a hot shot in previous experience, helping crews reduce fire damage with chainsaws and ignite controlled burns.
“What I’m coming is that you have a huge shortage of personnel on the fire line,” he said.
Clare Thompson maintains and maintains hundreds of miles of trails from Mission Ridge to Glacier Peak.
They log on many hours of fallen trees, sometimes hundreds, on a single trail, to ensure that it is possible for hikers, livestock, and first responders.
“It’s a big kick in the face that you dedicated your life to civil servants and worked so hard for things you care so much. And I’ve never received a negative performance review in your career. “Based on your performance, we determine that your service is no longer in the public interest to get this letter. ”
Recreational closure
Winter hikers and snowshoes who want to access the currently closed Franklin Falls and Denny Creek trailheads will need to add a five-mile round trip along Forest Road 58. The new trailhead has limited parking and no toilets.
Franklin Falls and Denny Creek are located in the Mount Baker Snow Krummy National Forest. It was let go, according to retired Snoqualmie area ranger Marty Schlam, 36 employees, or about 30% of the forest workforce.
Okanogan – A similar shooting took place in the Wenatchee National Forest. Salmon La Sax Snow Park. The forest has many popular snow parks, including Gold Creek, Cabin Creek, and Blue Wet Pass. This will reduce patrols confirming snow park permits for the remainder of the winter season (until April 30th).
260 employees have been fired between Washington and Oregon, according to Susan Jane Brown, co-chair of the Federal Advisory Committee on Northwest Forest Planning. The U.S. Forest Service did not respond to a request for comment.
The number of Washington National Park Service employees who were fired is yet to be known. According to Roger Oaks, a longtime Olympic National Park employee along with the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club has been fired and sand prepares the road to a ski resort, usually accessible to the park’s best roads. I drove the truck. Hurricane Ridge delayed the opening game on Sunday due to the absence of employees, but the Oaks says the park is working to fill the role.
The National Park Service did not respond to a request for comment.
The report used materials from the Associated Press. Seattle Times data journalist Manuel Villa contributed the report.
