Bracing for impacts on land, water and wildlife after feds fire thousands

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A President’s Day weekend swept by fear and grief from the sudden termination of thousands of federal employees in the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior left chaos and uncertainty after the latest assault on the federal workforce by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

For people on the ground in mountain communities, small towns and rural areas, the cuts were nothing short of devastating. They came with no explanation, warning or discernment, and the impact on public land and wildlife, observers say, will be felt for years.

“It’s pretty hard to fathom,” said Claire Thompson, 35, a trail leader who was fired Friday afternoon after eight years with the U.S. Forest Service. “It feels like they’re punishing the people who least deserve it. We have chosen to stay in careers working for so little money. We are literally the boots on the ground, physically working all day.”

Jobs cut included park rangers and interpreters, National Environmental Policy Act coordinators, endangered species biologists, trail crews, maintenance staff and wastewater treatment operators.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/02/19/people-brace-for-impacts-on-land-water-and-wildlife-after-feds-fire-thousands/