WASHINGTON D.C. — Due to a looming budget cut, the US Forest Service will not hire about 2,400 seasonal jobs nationally for the next fiscal year, leaving them out of work and putting essential recreation and conservation work at risk. 

Almost all the jobs are field-based, including biological technicians, trail workers, backcountry rangers, and river and climbing rangers. 

If the budget limits imposed by the U.S. House of Representatives are implemented, the Forest Service will experience a funding reduction of about $500 million. 

In a September call to all employees, Chief Randy Moore reassured employees that, although the agency might operate under a constrained budget in Fiscal Year 2025, “our people come first.” The Chief announced that all external hiring will stop and the agency will hire internally instead. Moore assured the permanent employees (not seasonal employees) that his number one priority is assuring employees, "we will pay you first." 

Moore then dropped this bombshell. "We will not be bringing on any additional seasonal [employees] outside of fire.” Emphasizing the impact of that decision, Moore then said he was going to repeat his announcement, "Because it is hard."  

"I need to let you know that we have also converted between 1,300 and 1,400 1039 employees to permanent seasonals. And so, we began the process of trying to really honor being an employer of choice by converting a number of our seasonals to permanent,” said Moore. 

Moore told employees unaffected by the hiring freeze that he would not ask them to do more with less. According to the outdoors group The Mountaineers, Moore "has already shared that the agency will scale back services rather than demand more of its already reduced and overburdened workforce. On a day-to-day operational level, reduced services could lead to limited or closed access to recreation sites, unmaintained trails, and even less ranger presence in sensitive backcountry areas.” 

The Mountaineers and other outdoor groups say the cuts will also negatively impact the work seasonal employees contribute to avalanche forecasting. 

In an email to the Valley Courier, the Forest Service stated, "The Forest Service is operating under a Continuing Resolution, and we anticipate a budget-limited environment in fiscal year 2025. We are not hiring additional seasonal non-fire employees (1039s) where offers have not been made for fiscal year 2025. 

"This decision could affect up to 16 non-fire 1039 seasonal positions on the Rio Grande National Forest and up to 32 on the San Juan National Forest. These non-fire 1039 seasonal positions perform various tasks like visitor center operations, trail maintenance, campsite management, assist in field work and other seasonal duties depending on the need of the forest district. 

"More broadly, the Forest Service will continue to hire its core firefighting force of 11,300 for the coming fire year, having worked over the last two years to stabilize and strategically grow our workforce. One important action we took was to convert almost 1,300 non-fire temporary (1039) employees to permanent status. This included six positions on the Rio Grande National Forest and 15 positions on the San Juan National Forest that were converted from temporary to permanent in fiscal year 2024, where the primary duty of those positions is to assist with trail maintenance. This action provided these employees with certainty, and better benefits. The change also helped ensure the agency as a whole can better accomplish critical work on behalf of the American people with a more permanent workforce. We are also working with partners to find creative solutions to fill gaps where we can. 

"What's important to remember is that the Forest Service's budget is primarily provided through discretionary appropriations provided by Congress each year. As an agency, we have a responsibility to plan for the most conservative funding picture and these actions reflect that reality. The safety and enjoyment of our visitors remain top priorities." 

The aforementioned email from the Forest Service was in response to a request for comment and did not include the name of the individual making the statement. 

The Forest Service is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which primarily provides its budget through discretionary appropriations provided by Congress each year. Recently, President-elect Donald Trump named Brooke Rollins, a former White House aide during his first term as Secretary of Agriculture. It is still being determined what budget priorities Rollins will bring to the Forest Service.