MONTE VISTA — The Rio Grande National Forest spans 1.86 million acres, or about 2,900 square miles, and is the headwaters of the eponymous Rio Grande, which flows 1,896 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Over the last week, Washington has directed the National Forest to immediately terminate about a fifth of its employees. 

Within the enormous expanse of the Rio Grande National Forest, there are countless streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Rosalee Reese, the sole Forest Fisheries Biologist, was dedicated to studying and preserving the vital ecosystems within this vast forest. She learned of her termination of employment with the forest service last Sunday. Her sudden firing has left a significant void in the understanding and management of these crucial habitats. 

Reese's termination is part of what the National Federation of Federal Employees has termed the "Valentine's Day Massacre," which is part of the newly created Department of Government Efficacy's reductions in the federal workforce. 

Reese worked for the Rio Grande National Forest for about 18 months and has extensive experience working for the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology and a master's degree in aquatic biology. 

Reese, now in her mid-thirties, has dedicated the past 15 years to studying and working in natural resources. Her journey began with an internship at the BLM in southeastern Arizona, followed by a move to New Mexico for her master's in aquatic biology at the University of New Mexico. She then worked for the BLM and Forest Service in Oregon, spent a season at Crater Lake National Park, and then moved to Illinois to work for U.S. Fish and Wildlife and then to Colorado for a position with the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust, before finally landing a job with the Forest Service.  

Reese said she has spent at least the last 15 years studying and working in natural resources. "Really, ever since high school, I've been working towards a career in natural resource management." 

"It has been a wonderful career, I definitely love working in natural resources and land management. It has been my passion. I was really, really excited when I got the job at the Forest Service. 

"My husband and I moved here about five years ago when he got a job with the Forest Service; he now works for the state. We love the San Luis Valley, and we both felt like we had a good, stable jobs. We bought a house. I am seven months pregnant, and we are starting our family. We really love it here and are excited to be here, so losing my job at the Forest Service has been a big blow to our plans.” 

Reese was informed that she was on a list of employees on the Rio Grande National Forest to be terminated last Sunday. "I was contacted by staff at the Rio Grande National Forest, and it is my understanding that communication came from Washington D.C. My termination letter came directly from HR [Human Resources].” 

Regarding other job cuts on the forest, Reese said, "I went into the office on Tuesday, my last day to clean out my desk and let people know I would no longer be working there and about 17 employees were cut.” Reese estimated about 80 employees were working on the forest before the cuts. The job losses are approximately 21.2% of the total number of employees. 

When asked if she will consider working for the federal government again, Reese said, "It is not easy to get a job with the federal government. You have to build your experience, which I have done. I very, very much care about the stewardship of our natural resources, and I love what I was able to do with the Forest Service and other federal agencies. At this point, I do feel betrayed by a system I put my faith in that told me, 'Stick with it and build a career; you will have long-term stability, good benefits, and a good retirement if you stick with it.’ No one goes into a career in natural resource management to become a millionaire; it is not lucrative. We all do this because we care about what we do. At this point, it is hard to say. It would be hard for me to put my trust in that system again." 

Reese said she was thrilled to be working on the national forest and working outdoors, "I loved it; I got to spend a lot of time in our beautiful mountains here in the Rio Grande headwaters. I focused on watershed restoration, and as the fisheries biologist, I focused on habitat and the health of our recreation and conservation populations of fish in the forest. Watershed health is a way to address issues and look at the bigger picture of the health of our aquatic ecosystems and water systems. Water is such a critical resource for Colorado and critical for the Rio Grande Basin." 

“I also did stream and river restoration projects, making sure our water quality and quantity are secure for the future. Another big component of that is wildfire resiliency. The more water we can keep on our landscape, the more moisture we have in our headwater system that really helps to combat the intensity and likelihood of catastrophic wildfires. That was another big focus of my position; just making sure wildfire resiliency is built into my project work. 

“Another aspect I really loved was the partnerships with other federal and state agencies in the Valley as well as nonprofit partners. We worked closely with the Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project and with Trout Unlimited. It is a community of natural resource professionals to have a broader impact on managing our natural resources. It takes collaboration and coordination, and I enjoyed that part of my position. I thought it was enabled us to get a lot of work done.” 

Friends of Resse have created a GoFundMe page, Reese commented, "I really love the San Luis Valley for so many reasons. One is such a wonderful community, some of our dear friends put together this page. That is just so incredibly generous and kind. 

"We did not take starting a family lightly, we waited for a long time until we felt we both had good secure jobs, until we bought a house, until we felt like we were in a stable position that we could have a family. This was a big blow for us in terms of our next step of beginning our family. We are so very thankful we have the support of our community that is helping us through this difficult time. 

"The federal workers that are being let go are committed civil servants; they are people who are dedicated to natural resources or to the Department of Defense, or the IRS. The way we have been terminated, our termination letters are saying due to a lack of performance. There is a structured process to do a thoughtful reduction in force in the federal government based on the performance of the agency and based on performance and that had not been considered during this process. I hope that this can be done more thoughtfully. 

To visit the GoFundMe page visit: www.gofundme.com and search for Support Rosalee After Govt Mass Firing Before Maternity Leave. 

A request for comment from the Rio Grande National Forest has been referred to the Washington office. A reply was not returned by press time.