US Forest Service Announces Hiring Freeze for 2025 Fiscal Year

The U.S. Forest Service recently announced a hiring freeze for seasonal staff and announced it won’t be hiring external candidates for any position within the agency in the 2025 fiscal year, according to an article from High Country News, in collaboration with Vox. The decision comes as the agency faces a “looming budget cut” after a recent spending bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives granted around half a billion dollars less than the Forest Service requested. “All of this, combined with recent cost-of-living increases for staff, means that the agency is feeling strapped for cash,” writes High Country News contributing editor Nick Bowlin. The situation has sent ripples of shock across the nation, raising concerns that thousands of people will be left out of work and that essential conservation and biodiversity work will be at risk. The freeze does not apply to the 11,000 temporary firefighting positions the Forest Service hires annually.

Bowlin explains the scale of the problem: “Americans visit hiking and camping areas managed by the U.S. Forest Service more than 150 million times each year …. The agency relies on a large, often underappreciated army of seasonal or temporary workers who clean bathrooms and campgrounds, empty trash cans, maintain trails, welcome people at visitor centers and do critical research work on the environment.” Without seasonal workers, those tasks will have to be performed by full-time staff, pulling them away from their core duties, or left undone entirely. “And since seasonal work is a common steppingstone to a permanent role, many temporary workers who hoped for a career in public-land management now find themselves at a loss.” Also at risk is the skill and knowledge of long-time seasonal workers who may not return if and when the freeze is lifted.

The High Country News article outlines the extent of work performed by seasonal staff not only to maintain hiking and camping areas but also to clear brush and trees to reduce wildfire risk, manage wildlife habitat, and more. It also highlights interviews and concerns from forestry and conservation advocates, seasonal and permanent Forest Service employees, and public-private partners.