Federal Job Cuts Endanger Wyoming's Outdoor Rec
You’ve probably heard about the recent layoffs impacting the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management. Cuts targeted employees in probationary periods, affecting both new hires and mid and upper-level staff, regardless of their length of service. While the full impact is still unfolding, the consequences are significant and pose a threat to outdoor recreation that depends on well-managed public lands. Dedicated individuals who devoted their careers to ensuring safe and enjoyable outdoor experiences have lost their jobs, leaving a void that Wyoming cannot afford. We need your help to urge lawmakers to protect the workers who protect Wyoming’s public lands.
Wyoming’s outdoor industry is built on strong partnerships with federal agencies that provide essential infrastructure, permitting, and land management. A diminished federal workforce compromises public safety and access, restricts amenities, and harms Wyoming’s iconic landscapes. Essential services like toilet cleanings, campground upkeep, trail maintenance, and wildfire prevention are at risk of being neglected. Although some seasonal hiring has resumed, many National Parks are already experiencing delayed openings, shorter visitor center hours, and reduced services—even before the busy season begins.
These cuts jeopardize the capacity for outdoor recreation businesses including guides, outfitters, retail shops, and tourism operators to serve clientele safely and effectively. Now is the time to make your voice heard!
Contact Senator Barrasso, Senator Lummis, and Representative Hageman to urge them to prioritize the stability and support of federal land management agencies.
What to Say:
Introduce yourself as a Wyoming resident and supporter of the outdoor recreation economy.
Share your concern about the impact of federal layoffs on public lands, non profit partners, and local businesses. Urge them to support robust public land management to protect Wyoming’s outdoor economy.
In the News:
WyoFile: DOGE cuts will hobble outdoor recreation in Wyoming, advocates say
In a state where nearly half the land is public, supporters worry a thriving industry will feel the pain of budget freezes, job losses.
(Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)
