Public lands are under threat from a severe reduction in the workforce and funding for research and management programs. In February an estimated 10-30% of staff at the Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) were been laid off. Similar layoffs affected the Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and United States Geological Survey (USGS). Following Court rulings that these layoffs were illegal, some employees have been reinstated but most are on adminsitrative leave while their agencies complete Reduction in Force plans intended to cut the workforce even further. From recreation staff to SNOTEL maintenance crews and scientists tracking natural hazards, these cuts have a direct impact on your public land and recreation experiences. 

Our Alliance has raised our voices in opposition to these cuts and lawmakers are beginning to listen. The Park Service is working to restore seasonal positions, and some in the Senate are speaking up on behalf of Forest Service staff. It's crucial that the outdoor community keep up the pressure—our easy-action tool makes it simple to write your lawmakers and demand that they reinvest in the workforce that manages our public lands—staff who know these lands intimately, who live in the communities they serve, and who play a crucial role in preserving and protecting them for future generations.