Low angle photography of trees during daytime

Wildfire and other disaster response strained as Trump administration cuts Forest Service jobs

The Trump administration has eliminated at least 2,000 U.S. Forest Service jobs, including disaster recovery and fire management positions, weakening efforts to combat wildfires and repair storm damage nationwide.

Peter Slevin reports for The New Yorker.

In short:

The layoffs include specialists working on hurricane recovery in North Carolina, where recent storms caused widespread damage to forests, roads, and bridges.
Many of the terminated employees were firefighters or responders who assist during natural disasters, despite government claims that "operational firefighters" were not affected.
The cuts have sparked concern among former staff and local communities, who fear worsening wildfires and infrastructure failures due to reduced personnel.

Key quote:

“I feel like my community has been gutted. The trail crew, wilderness crew, timber crew, fisheries crew. We truly care for this resource we’ve been protecting.”

— Hayley Pines, former Forest Service employee

Why this matters:

The United States Forest Service is facing a staffing crisis at a time when climate-driven disasters are intensifying. Wildfires are burning hotter and spreading faster, fueled by prolonged drought and rising temperatures. Meanwhile, severe storms are becoming more destructive, overwhelming forests already weakened by pests, disease, and human encroachment.

Yet, even as these threats grow, the agency responsible for managing vast swaths of public land is losing workers. For rural communities, the consequences are stark. Federal crews play a critical role in clearing roads, stabilizing slopes to prevent post-fire mudslides, and maintaining infrastructure that helps protect against flooding. Without enough personnel, these efforts slow down, leaving towns more vulnerable to cascading environmental damage.

The staffing shortages also compound risks beyond fires. Trails and roads go unmaintained, increasing the likelihood of accidents. Invasive species spread unchecked. And as climate change accelerates, the ability of the Forest Service to act as a frontline defender of public lands — and by extension the communities around them — is increasingly strained.

www.newyorker.com

Wildfire and other disaster response strained as Trump administration cuts Forest Service jobs

Extreme heat events are growing more frequent, widespread and underestimated

EPA budget cuts may weaken wildfire smoke protections as air pollution worsens

Wildfire smoke and heat exposure before pregnancy linked to lower birth weights

Republican tax plan would expand oil industry subsidies and cut clean energy support

Trump administration moves to reopen 59 million acres of protected national forests to logging

New York plans new nuclear plant to meet growing power demand

California weighs Amazon oil imports after Indigenous leaders raise alarm

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.