Budget cuts will prevent the U.S. Forest Service from hiring seasonal workers next year, risking essential conservation and public land management tasks.

Nick Bowlin reports for High Country News (in collaboration with Vox).

In short:

• The U.S. Forest Service faces a budget shortfall due to a half-billion-dollar funding gap, leading to a hiring freeze for most seasonal positions in fiscal year 2025.
• Seasonal employees handle critical tasks such as trail maintenance, wildfire prevention and ecological research, and their absence may reduce services and park access.
• While some permanent staff will remain, they may struggle to cover the workload typically managed by thousands of seasonal workers.

Key quote:

“We just can’t get the same amount of work done with fewer employees.”

— Randy Moore, U.S. Forest Service Chief.

Why this matters:

The hiring freeze threatens the upkeep of public lands, which rely on seasonal workers for wildfire prevention, conservation and visitor services. Reduced staff could lead to neglected trails, closed recreation sites and compromised ecological research.

Related: Wildfire resources in the US are stretched thin despite federal claims of full staffing