Forest Service Staff Cuts Raise Concern Amid Wildfires

Employees of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have criticized the organization for leaving fire teams understaffed as the country grapples with decade-high U.S. wildfire numbers this year, according to Reuters.

The agency, which oversees the nation’s largest wildland firefighting force, rejected those claims, saying it has sufficient resources.

However, more than a dozen active and retired U.S. Forest Service employees told Reuters the agency is struggling to fill critical roles after approximately 5,000 employees—roughly 15% of its workforce—quit in the past five months

Accounts from firefighters in Oregon and New Mexico, as well as a fire chief recruiting support staff in the Pacific Northwest, said personnel have been allocated to administrative roles following these vacancies—subsequently being held back from supporting frontline firefighting.

The Pacific Northwest officer also said support staff had been told by managers they had to meet the Trump administration’s increased timber sales and oil and gas production targets, with fewer employees, before helping firefighters.

The crew leader on an Oregon blaze said her team went hungry for several days, ran short of medical supplies, and had to scrounge for chainsaw fuel after support staff quit the agency.

National and local USFS officials say, however, the force is ready for what is expected to be a worse-than-average fire year in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the northern Rockies, according to National Interagency Fire Center forecasts.

The Trump administration has pledged not to cut firefighting positions and other public safety jobs in firings, voluntary resignations, and early retirements meant to raise efficiency at the USFS, which manages 193 million acres of land (78 million hectares), roughly the size of Texas.

However, USFS employees said the loss of thousands of foresters, biologists, trail builders, and campground managers is having an effect on firefighters.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who oversees the USFS, said in June at a meeting of Western state governors in New Mexico that the agency was on target to hire 11,300 firefighters by mid-July, outpacing hiring over the past three years.

As of June 29, 11,236 or 99% of that number have been hired, slightly below last year’s level.