Last week, U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, signed on to a letter urging U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz to reinstate fired workers who are critical to wildfire responses and timber harvests, according to a news release from her office.
She was joined by Democratic Reps. Kim Schrier and Rick Larsen, both of Washington state.
Democratic Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and Reps. Suzan DelBene, Emily Randall, Pramila Jayapal, Adam Smith and Marilyn Strickland also signed onto the letter.
This letter underscored impacts of recent workforce cuts to local federal lands and called for the Trump administration to refrain from further cuts to the federal workforce that could negatively impact timber production, wildfire readiness and recreation in Southwest Washington.
“The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is in my backyard, so I know how important wildfire response is to rural communities like mine,” Gluesenkamp Perez stated in the release. “It’s essential we remain fully staffed and ready ahead of fire season — not only by wildland firefighters, but also by those who support prevention activities and are certified to join fire lines. We need to work urgently to make our federal government a more effective steward of our hard-earned tax dollars and more financially self-sufficient, such as through responsibly harvesting timber, but across-the-board cuts come at the cost of local knowledge of our woods and the safety and economies of our rural communities.”
In the letter, the lawmakers wrote that in communities in their districts, U.S. Forest Service (USFS) firefighters and support personnel serve as the primary protection in the wildland urban interface.
“USFS also plays a critical role in reducing fire risk to nearby communities and smoke exposure to the entire region by implementing forest management, reducing fuel loads, conducting prescribed burns and partnering with localities, states, nonprofit organizations and companies for these purposes,” the lawmakers wrote.
Terminations, cuts to probationary employees and deferred resignations make it more difficult for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to collect permit fees, provide information and education, and steward safe trails and facilities, the lawmakers stated in the letter.
“While public safety roles were supposedly exempted, we’re gravely concerned about reports that USFS staff who support wildfire response or mitigation, as well as staff with firefighting certifications that serve in roles with dual purposes, were terminated,” continued the lawmakers. “We request that you immediately reinstate terminated employees and refrain from further staff reductions such that USFS can carry out all wildland fire mitigation efforts designated by Congress, operate and maintain recreation services through the peak summer months, and have enough staff to support wildfire response during peak times. Thank you for your attention to this pressing matter.”
The lawmakers requested the U.S. Forest Service provide:
• Information regarding terminated USFS employees, including their job titles, position descriptions, justification for termination and occupational categories as determined by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
• The number of terminated employees that hold an incident qualification card, commonly referred to as a red card, for wildland firefighting.
• Its plan to handle the influx of visitors expected over the rapidly approaching peak summer season with a depleted workforce.
Full text of the letter can be found at https://shorturl.at/t4z7D.
