BCHA ACTION ALERT!
Hiring Freeze, Layoffs and a Hold on Contracts in Departments of Government Responsible for our Federal Public Lands
If you share the concern that the current mass layoffs of federal employees and inability to continue/renew existing contracts will affect BCH’s mission, then please call your US representative and senators today! A brief background on these mounting threats is provided below.
See contact links below. A phone call is the most productive way to be heard. When speaking with the staff of elected officials, tell them:
• I’m a constituent who volunteers for Back Country Horsemen of [state] to keep recreational trails on public lands open for everyone.
• Give them your brief but personal story of how current federal agency layoffs and the hold on contracting will affect your ability to volunteer locally and recreate on our federal public lands.
Following are some key statements to consider:
→ Ask your members of Congress to publicly call for immediate action to stop this disruptive and non-strategic attempt to shrink the federal government workforce.
→ Urge the reversal of these mass firings.
→ Mention that cutting the workforce from probationary and temporary employees is where the work on the ground actually gets done. These cuts will increase the backlog of maintenance which Congress has been asking these agencies to reduce.
→ Emphasize that without professional trail crews to keep trails open, we all will lose access to our public lands—for wildland firefighting, prevention and for public recreation.
→ Ask that your members of Congress ensure that any cuts in agency staffing be strategic, well thought out and have the least effect on the overall mission of the government agencies to protect our nation’s natural resources and public safety.
FIND YOUR CONTACTS:
Senators: www.senate.gov/senators then enter your state in the search box
Congressmen: www.house.gov then enter your zip code in the upper right corner box.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND
BCHA is hearing from state and national directors from across the country about the devastating effects on public access, BCH work parties, and employee morale resulting from recent large-scale layoffs throughout the federal workforce. Without our federal partners, few if any of our volunteer efforts are possible.
Within the past week, for example, some Forest Service ranger districts have lost significant portions of their staff. Many of the most vulnerable employees are in recreation and trails. A BCH officer in one western state reported an 80 percent loss of staff in local Forest Service offices; a nearby national park suffered a 100 percent loss of its trail crew as a result of the hiring freeze.
The situation is even worse for local offices when you add the current hiring freeze for both seasonal workers and long-vacant positions. Without such staff in place, it’s likely there will be few agency personnel to execute volunteer agreements or provide necessary saw trainings for BCH members. The same can be said of our important stewardship responsibilities with the National Park Service (1,000 jobs eliminated thus far) and the Bureau of Land Management.
It’s been widely reported that the Forest Service recently eliminated about 3,400 employees, most targeted at those within a “probationary” period, which typically lasts two years for new hires. Yet the layoffs have applied also to seasoned employees who recently accepted new positions, or to employees who moved into the Forest Service from other agencies. While the layoffs affect all levels of government, for federal land management agencies its effects will be felt most acutely at the local level. That’s why BCHA is encouraging you to immediately contact your elected officials.
Thank you for taking action!