Originally posted to the EDRA Facebook Group by Susan Summers
Riders, please volunteer to help ride managers clear trails. A letter I received.
This fall, the United States Forest Service (USFS) announced a hiring freeze for the next fiscal year, meaning the agency would not hire thousands of seasonal staff except for firefighting positions. This decision stems from budget shortfalls as appropriations from Congress fell about half a billion dollars short of the Forest Service’s request. While outdoor recreation accounts for 2.2% of the U.S. GDP, but only 0.16% of the federal budget goes to outdoor recreation management on public lands.
Seasonal employees are critical in managing the 193 million acres managed by the Forest Service. The freeze will impact about 2,400 seasonal roles, including employees responsible for trail maintenance, campgrounds, and ecological research.
Trail runners will likely be some of the first to feel its effects. Impacts might include reduced trail and facility maintenance and even impacts to permit processing, a major concern for race directors.Words by Zoë Rom.