Since taking office in January, the current administration has taken a series of actions specifically aimed at weakening environmental protections on public lands, threatening to sell off of public lands, defunding land management agencies, and laying off thousands of federal land employees.
2,300 employees were fired at the Department of the Interior, and 3,400 Forest Service employees were fired at the Department of Agriculture. While a federal judge ordered reinstatement of thousands of fired federal employees early in March, the administration placed many on paid administrative leave rather than returning them to active duty.
The three USFS visitor centers in the Roaring Fork Valley are closed indefinitely
The White River National Forest (WRNF) spans over 2.3 million acres and includes Aspen, Vail, Glenwood Springs, and the Maroon Bells. It is the most visited forest in the United States.
The WRNF staff has been reduced by 35%, which means:
