Federal Land Management Agencies layoffs to affect Idaho

In February, President Trump announced plans to lay off a significant number of federal employees, including National Park Service workers. In the following weeks, the Idaho NPS has witnessed how this will impact parks around the state.   

Idaho—which is home to 30 State Parks and seven National Forests that cover over 20 million acres—has already seen 143 Idaho National Forest staff members laid off, according to Brad Smith, the Director of the Idaho Conservation League. The employee losses include 37 employees from the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, 45 from the Payette National Forest, 22 from Boise National Forest and 39 from the Sawtooth National Forest. The Sawtooth losses include 17 of the 31 employees in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, slashing their employees by nearly 55%. 

Aside from Idaho’s troubles, National Parks across the country have lost thousands of employees due to the recent layoffs. The explanation given: “Workers are too inefficient,” Smith said.  

“Those who were let go were reportedly told they were being terminated for underperformance, despite having received positive evaluations in their most recent reviews,” Smith said.  

This sudden loss of jobs has affected the Moscow community as well. The College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho often works in tandem with the state parks and forests.  

Chris Zajchowski, Assistant Professor of Parks, Tourism and Recreation Ecology, is concerned about how these federal movements are impacting the students and staff.  

“With regards to the Forest Service, some of the 3,400 folks laid off [nationally] include our students’ family members here in Idaho, which no doubt impacts them and their communities,” Zajchowski said. “Other students’ research may be impacted by losses in the workforce capacity in their partnering federal agencies. For faculty, layoffs of middle and higher-level administrative personnel in agencies may potentially jeopardize grant funding.”  

The future of those employed by Idaho State Parks and National Forests is uncertain, though Smith has concerns about what will happen in the future. 

“As summer approaches, the public may find their favorite campgrounds closed, outhouses not serviced and trails uncleared. More critically, with fewer employees, it will be harder for these agencies to manage forests, protect communities from wildfires and sustainably produce resources like timber,” Smith said.  

While the new layoffs will surely make a great impact, these federal lands being understaffed is not an entirely new issue, as Zajchowski explains. National Parks’ staff numbers have decreased in recent years.  

“Something I don’t think a lot of people were aware of until recently was that these agencies have been understaffed for decades. While interest in outdoor recreation has dramatically risen, the National Park Service alone has 20% fewer staff than it did in 2010,” Zajchowski said.  

Though job opportunities will be harder to find and the full consequences of these terminations cannot yet be known, many individuals will continue to dedicate their time to protecting these lands.  

Smith is disheartened by the losses and said that these recently laid off employees are in every community.  

“These employees are not distant bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. They are public servants, our friends, neighbors and family members,” Smith said. “The actions taken by the Trump administration are both reckless and heartless, leaving dedicated professionals without jobs and undermining the agencies that steward our public lands.” 

Paige Wilton can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu.