Protect Our Public Lands Workforce

I am, along with many outdoor equipment brands, such as Nemo, and the Outdoor Alliance, concerned by the reduction of workforces at the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.

On the Superior National Forest, which is where the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is located and where I live, was already short of staff before the workforce reductions. Now it’s even more short on staff. These reductions put outdoor recreation, our safety, and public lands at risk.

You can learn more and take action by joining me and the Outdoor Alliance in asking lawmakers to reinvest in our workforce to manage our public lands.

On the Superior, among the staff that was reduced was the front desk staff that issue permits. All the front desk staff for the Gunflint Ranger Station in Grand Marais were fired and now the staff from the Tofte Ranger Station has to cover both stations. That has resulted in reduced hours at both stations. The staff also include workers that maintain trails, campground, and recreational infrastructure. In the Boundary Waters, that includes the over 2,000 wilderness campsites, the latrines, and the portages. Although the administration claimed that emergency response teams and wildland firefighters wouldn’t be cut, they have been.

Additionally, the reduced work force will slow or halt the roll-out of the new bipartisan EXPLORE Act, which passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. The EXPLORE Act was a big deal for the outdoor industry and was ten years in the making. It includes cutting red tape in permitting, increasing access to our public lands, and more.

Nearly all Americans support caring for our National Parks, Public Lands, and Wilderness Areas. You can learn more about the consequences of cutting the workforce at the link.