The Durkee Fire in Baker and Malheur counties last year contributed to a historic wildfire season, with nearly 2 million acres burned. (Photo courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation)
Oregon could have far fewer firefighters ready to battle blazes on federal lands next fire season — and may do less advance work aimed at mitigating the risk of large fires — due to the Trump administration’s hiring freeze and funding cuts, according to U.S. lawmakers.
Oregon U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have joined over a dozen other lawmakers, all Democrats, in calling on the administration to issue an exemption for thousands of seasonal firefighters so federal agencies can prepare for “what’s expected to be another devastating wildfire year.”
“The Administration must not sacrifice the safety of the American people for the benefit of implementing a political agenda,” their letter reads.
Federal agencies hire about 15,000 seasonal firefighters every year, according to a similar letter U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, D-California, sent Friday.
“Seasonal firefighters are essential to the public safety of those who live in fire-prone areas, and I am alarmed that federal firefighters are not party to this exemption,” Schiff wrote.
February and March are a critical time for onboarding seasonal firefighters, who typically renew their contracts each year to respond to summer wildfires. President Donald Trump’s executive order has muddied that process, according to four federal firefighters who spoke to OPB, leaving federal managers unsure whether they can start a monthslong onboarding process.
Trump’s hiring freeze order exempts positions related to “public safety,” but it doesn’t specifically exempt wildland firefighters. As a result, some agency officials have stalled onboarding until they get more clarity.
“We aren’t getting clear direction from the top,” Ben McLane, a Forest Service fire crew captain based in Washington, said. “We’re not getting communication that is explicitly clear that these agencies are to be moving forward with the hiring of every type of wildland firefighter.”
This delay could mean agencies like the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management will start the summer with understaffed teams. These federal agencies are charged with responding to fires on more than 32 million acres in Oregon — over half the state’s total land.
Staffing shortages might shift firefighting responsibility onto state agencies, or the federal government might need to backfill firefighting gaps with expensive private contractors.
Federal funding cuts have also hobbled fire mitigation work on public lands, according to a letter that Wyden and Merkley signed. Prescribed burning and other fuels reduction projects help tamp down brush and invasive plants that can fuel hotter and more destructive wildfires.
The BLM has issued stop work orders for hazardous fuel reduction projects, the letter lawmakers sent Monday reads. This freeze — which the group of U.S. senators calls “flagrantly illegal” — is part of Trump’s widespread elimination of anything tied to former President Joe Biden’s infrastructure spending.
“We are further concerned that fuels projects overseen by the U.S. Forest Service will be next,” the letter says. “These projects are integral to increased safety and resiliency and any delay in implementation puts those communities at greater risk.”
This story was originally published by Oregon Public Broadcasting.