The long term consequences of mass layoffs for public lands and the communities that depend on them

The first list came out on Feb. 13. Rumors were spreading that day among forest personnel after a recently fired federal employee leaked that Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were moving forward with their proposed mass layoffs. We anxiously waited throughout the day, refreshing our emails and waiting for the worst. Nothing came. It wasn’t until six that evening that the list was released, well after working hours, and supervisors made the calls to inform their terminated employees.

That first list targeted seasonal/permanent employees who comprise most of the United States Forest Service field workforce. The seasonal employees affected were the ones who cleared trails, cleaned and maintained forest recreation sites, biologists and range staff, with many serving as fire militia and support. 

More lists were released that weekend. A list came out on Friday, and we lost more people. Two more lists came out that Sunday, with my name included. The cuts were deep and widespread. The full extent of the firings has yet to be understood, but they were extensive and significantly diminished the forest’s ability to provide access to the public and manage the health of the forest.

Our trail crew in the Gila National Forest was devastated. Out of a crew of seven, five were terminated that night. The reason for their termination: “poor performance.” Yet, every one of their performance evaluations was exemplary. These were the people who spent the last year away from the comfort of their homes, sleeping in the Gila backcountry, maintaining trails, ensuring recreation site access to the public, fighting fires and responding to backcountry medical emergencies. 

Those recently terminated were not the “fat” or “excess” that the administration says it is targeting. We were the boots on the ground, the ones sweating and toiling under the New Mexico sun, with many of us getting paid just enough to make ends meet. 

These mass layoffs targeting our federal agencies that manage public lands could not come at a more dire time. This winter has been abnormally hot and dry for the American Southwest. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Air and Waterway Report, the Gila River Basin is only at 8% of its median snow water equivalent, or snowpack, which reflects how abnormally dry and hot this winter has been for the entire region.

The majority of the USFS workforce that was let go in the last few weeks served as either front-line wildland firefighters or support for wildland firefighters. President Donald Trump’s executive orders to put a hold on hiring have also proven a significant obstacle in ensuring adequate staffing to combat an even average fire season. Winter fire crews have already been called to contain fires in Arizona. Fire danger across the Gila National Forest and other forests in the region is currently “very high.”

Under the guise of efficiency, Elon Musk and DOGE, with the public support of Trump, have systematically undermined and crippled federal land management agencies ability to combat wildland fires and protect communities who border and depend on our public lands.

Justin Schatz is University of New Mexico alumni, former wilderness ranger and Gila field trail crew lead. He is currently based in Silver City.