Neguse, Huffman Press U.S. Forest Service for Answers on Staffing Levels Ahead of Summer Season

Last week, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse, Ranking Member of the Federal Lands Subcommittee, and Representative Jared Huffman, Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee, penned a letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz underscoring the importance of seasonal employees and requesting an update on the agency’s plan to make sure it’s adequately equipped for fire season and summer recreation.

The lawmakers’ letter points to the mass terminations and hiring freezes enacted under President Trump last year. Forest Service employees said these losses crippled the agency’s federal firefighting and land management capabilities. Neguse and Huffman previously demanded that firefighters and essential seasonal workers be exempt from these attacks, but administration officials disregarded their calls, with as many as 1,400 “red card” holders leaving the agency in 2025 — a dramatic reduction in the number of wildfire-certified personnel.

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