Massive Government Layoffs Could Endanger Area; Spark Devastating Wildfires
Trevor Phipps
As soon as President Donald Trump was re-elected in January, he promptly made true to his campaign promise of trimming excess government spending.
His newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by billionaire Elon Musk, hasn’t wasted any time in wielding the fiscal axes on areas in which Musk deems taxpayer funds are being wasted.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the cuts to hit locally. Shortly after it was announced that jobs in the National Park Service were cut, the local Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument announced that it will now be closed two days a week. And,local leaders have already started to fear potential cuts in fire mitigation efforts and emergency relief funds.
In the first month of President Trump’s second term in office, thousands of federal positions have been eliminated spanning several departments. More than 30,000 federal workers have already been laid off, according to government websites, and the federal budget chainsaw is expected to continue. So far, the cuts in federal grants and the loss of jobs have impacted several sectors of the federal government But, at the same time, this action has fueled a number of lawsuits.
In Colorado, fears have mounted over cuts of federal workers who help manage more than 24 million acres of public lands that make up approximately two thirds of the state’s total land. So far, the federal cuts have resulted in about 3,400 layoffs in the National Forest Service and around 2,300 from the Interior Department’s National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management.
According to an article published in the Colorado Sun, the Trump administration has already eliminated over 150 federal workers within the state. Even though the cuts were said to not effect firefighters or public safety officers, other forest service jobs that work on wildfire prevention efforts were a part of the cuts.
“We are hanging out communities to dry… all over the American West,” Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said, according to an article published by the Associated Press. Bennet joined Colorado Governor Jared Polis along with several other state Democrats in voicing concerns against the drastic cuts in fire-risk-areas, such as Colorado and California, where wildfires frequently scorch the region every summer and fall.
“These public servants not only maintain the health of our headwaters and wildlife habitat but help keep our communities safe by decreasing the risk of wildfire destroying homes and critical infrastructure,” stated a letter written by Sen. Bennet and several other Democrat lawmakers. “They put out campfires, clear trails, clean bathrooms, and manage trailheads. They also help businesses with the permitting process to use Forest Service lands, including grazers, guides, outfitters, ski resorts, and oil, gas and mining operations.”
County Commissioners Fear Impacts on Firefighting Efforts
The first impact felt locally came in the form of the closure of a popular Teller County recreation spot. On Feb. 20 the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument announced on its Facebook page that it would be closed every Monday and Tuesday starting on Feb. 24.
“There will be no access to the visitor center, trailhead parking or public restrooms,” the social media post stated. “The monument is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.”
However, according to Teller County Commission Chairman Dan Williams, the cuts could prove to have more negative impacts locally. Out of the 3,400 forest service jobs that have been eliminated, Williams said that it is not currently known how many jobs that means for the local Pike National Forest.
“I do sit on the public lands committee, so I’ll be in Washington, D.C. March 1 to March 4 this coming week and we are going to ask those tough questions to our federal partners up there,” Williams said.
The commissioner stated that forest fires are his major concern. Since the area was already short on forest service personnel before, Williams fears further cuts could be devastating to the Pikes Peak region.
“What I’m worried about is that at the worst possible time when we are about to hit fire season when the snow dries up, you are also looking at potential cuts to FEMA and some other public safety things so we could really be in a pickle,” Williams said. “We are going to continue to do everything that we can do.”
Williams said that his major call to action is that anyone who comes into the national forests in or surrounding Teller County to recreate should be extra cautious about fire safety and safety in general. “There is just not going to be a lot of people patrolling up here,” Williams said. “The impacts are going to be felt by local governments obviously especially if something bad like a forest fire happens. We are concerned. I’m hoping they reverse those cuts, or they come up with an alternative plan, but right now we are very at risk.”
