Land management agency impact stories...

[BuzzH]

Firing on: Remaining Forest Service staff fill in to keep Mendenhall Glacier activities flowing | Juneau Empire

As visitor center continues lectures and kids’ events, fired employees get a show of community support.

www.juneauempire.com

 

[BuzzH]

Some NPS employees at Whiskeytown let go as part of Trump administration cuts

Job cuts at Whiskeytown are part of the thousands of federal workers nationwide who have been let go.

www.redding.com

 

[INMT]

Forest Service terminations cut deep on Flathead National Forest

Fischer Gangemi never really considered a career outside of the Forest Service.

dailyinterlake.com

 

[cgasner1]

Not a news story, but I heard from a friend in the FS that he had to submit an email this weekend, justifying his position and outlining what he did the week before. Sounds to me like the provisionals were just part 1…

I have to fill out a time sheet every day with my job. Our managers don’t

 

[jryoung]

Greg Bafundo starts at the 4:30 mark.

 

[sapperJ24]

Forest Service terminations cut deep on Flathead National Forest

Fischer Gangemi never really considered a career outside of the Forest Service.

dailyinterlake.com

For folks not reading the articles posted, this excerpt should be concerning, even if you aren't worried about the trails and rivers.

"Bobby Oshaben, a former forestry technician, called the mass terminations reckless and said the Trump administration’s assertion that cuts would improve government efficiency was short-sighted.

As a member of the timber presale preparation crew, Oshaben prepared timber plots for bidding. Flathead National Forest typically produces between 60 and 90 million board feet of timber each year, enough to frame 6,000 mid-sized homes. This year, Oshaben said the agency doubled its yearly harvest targets, but he doubts the downsized work crews will be able to keep up with the workload.

“I think that people don’t realize how much of our economy depends on our national forests,” said Oshaben. He estimated that the F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company mill in Columbia Falls gets half of its lumber supply from Forest Service lands and warned that rising lumber prices could trickle down to builders and home buyers. "

 

[SAJ-99]

For folks not reading the articles posted, this excerpt should be concerning, even if you aren't worried about the trails and rivers.

"Bobby Oshaben, a former forestry technician, called the mass terminations reckless and said the Trump administration’s assertion that cuts would improve government efficiency was short-sighted.

As a member of the timber presale preparation crew, Oshaben prepared timber plots for bidding. Flathead National Forest typically produces between 60 and 90 million board feet of timber each year, enough to frame 6,000 mid-sized homes. This year, Oshaben said the agency doubled its yearly harvest targets, but he doubts the downsized work crews will be able to keep up with the workload.

“I think that people don’t realize how much of our economy depends on our national forests,” said Oshaben. He estimated that the F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company mill in Columbia Falls gets half of its lumber supply from Forest Service lands and warned that rising lumber prices could trickle down to builders and home buyers. "

More rubber stamping contracts?

 

[BuzzH]

‘This is a slaughter’: How Los Padres forest biologist lost his job amid Trump purge

Ben Vizzachero was enjoying a Valentine’s Day outing when he learned he had been fired, despite just receiving a raise and a good review.

www.aol.com

 

[thebestusernamesaretaken]

National Park Service employees at Yosemite laid off amid government cuts | abc30.com

Employees%20at%20Yosemite%20National%20Park%20are%20expressing%20their%20confusion%20and%20concern%20after%20learning%20they%20are%20out%20of%20a%20job.

abc30.com

NPS employees hang Flag on El Capitan

 

[shb]

What does "preparing timber plots for bidding" actually mean?

 

[BuzzH]

What does "preparing timber plots for bidding" actually mean?

Stand exams, writing prescriptions, timber cruising to value sale, mark boundaries, depending on prescription, clear cut, shelterwood cut, commercial thin, select cutting, putting the sale out to bid.

Following the cut there's usually an inspection and post harvest work sometimes followed by site prep, replanting, prescribed fire.

Timber doesn't sell itself...

 

[BigHornRam]

Not even 1 year ago.

Latest Mill Closure Threatens Northwest Montana’s Timber Traditions and its Forest Health - Flathead Beacon

For as many Montana mills as Gordy Sanders has seen shuttered or sold during his 53-year career working in the woods, the loss of another local timber company hasn’t gotten any easier. But following the recent closure at Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Seeley Lake’s largest employer for 75 years, where...

flatheadbeacon.com

" The problems facing Pyramid are all too familiar for Paul McKenzie, the vice president and general manager of F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company in Columbia Falls, a 112-year-old family-owned mill on Half Moon Road that holds 39,000 forested acres in Flathead and Lincoln counties. McKenzie said falling lumber prices and a constricted log supply on National Forests are significant sources of pressure on Stoltze; without a dependable and affordable pipeline of raw material it’s hard for traditional family-owned businesses to adapt and keep pace with the dramatic changes upending the timber industry. But employee retention in a prohibitive housing market has also hindered Stoltze’s ability to operate at full capacity, McKenzie said, which is directly tied to the depressed demand for lumber.

“Competition for labor and the cost of living has changed dramatically since the pandemic,” McKenzie said. “Whereas in 2018 and 2019 a $25-an-hour job was at least a living wage and you could afford to buy a house somewhere in the Flathead Valley, today it’s hard to find a rental you can afford at that same pay scale.”"

 

[thebestusernamesaretaken]

Stand exams, writing prescriptions, timber cruising to value sale, mark boundaries, depending on prescription, clear cut, shelterwood cut, commercial thin, select cutting, putting the sale out to bid.

Following the cut there's usually an inspection and post harvest work sometimes followed by site prep, replanting, prescribed fire.

Timber doesn't sell itself....

I lost one of my favorite honey holes due to timber cutting. The place was productive for years (decades). One of those places that when everything else didn't work you could come back to this spot and find success. I get that it will be better in the future, but man it was really disappointing to lose a spot like that.

 

[BuzzH]

Not even 1 year ago.

Latest Mill Closure Threatens Northwest Montana’s Timber Traditions and its Forest Health - Flathead Beacon

For as many Montana mills as Gordy Sanders has seen shuttered or sold during his 53-year career working in the woods, the loss of another local timber company hasn’t gotten any easier. But following the recent closure at Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Seeley Lake’s largest employer for 75 years, where...

flatheadbeacon.com

" The problems facing Pyramid are all too familiar for Paul McKenzie, the vice president and general manager of F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company in Columbia Falls, a 112-year-old family-owned mill on Half Moon Road that holds 39,000 forested acres in Flathead and Lincoln counties. McKenzie said falling lumber prices and a constricted log supply on National Forests are significant sources of pressure on Stoltze; without a dependable and affordable pipeline of raw material it’s hard for traditional family-owned businesses to adapt and keep pace with the dramatic changes upending the timber industry. But employee retention in a prohibitive housing market has also hindered Stoltze’s ability to operate at full capacity, McKenzie said, which is directly tied to the depressed demand for lumber.

“Competition for labor and the cost of living has changed dramatically since the pandemic,” McKenzie said. “Whereas in 2018 and 2019 a $25-an-hour job was at least a living wage and you could afford to buy a house somewhere in the Flathead Valley, today it’s hard to find a rental you can afford at that same pay scale.”"

Yep, more of that to come if there's no timber crews.

Sad deal.

 

[BuzzH]

I lost one of my favorite honey holes due to timber cutting. The place was productive for years (decades). One of those places that when everything else didn't work you could come back to this spot and find success. I get that it will be better in the future, but man it was really disappointing to lose a spot like that.

It happens and is a needed part of multiple use.

 

[BuzzH]

Federal layoffs hit Forest Service, public lands staff in Central WA

WENATCHEE — For years, Owen Wickenheiser was a wilderness and climbing ranger, primarily stationed in the Enchantments near Leavenworth. He spent his summers hauling trash out of the forest, clearing

www.yakimaherald.com

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

Not a news story, but I heard from a friend in the FS that he had to submit an email this weekend, justifying his position and outlining what he did the week before. Sounds to me like the provisionals were just part 1…

New FBI Director Kash Patel, however, has instructed agency employees not to respond yet to the OPM email, according to ABC News.

"FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information," Patel told employees. "The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses. Thank you, Kash Patel."

 

[LuketheDog]

Need to keep the stories coming, if you have them post them up. I've been compiling a bunch. If its anything else, put a cork in it.

US Forest Service and National Park Service to fire thousands of workers

Agencies say Trump’s latest push to trim government could impede firefighting efforts and create crises at national parks

www.theguardian.com

This article's tagline says the cuts could impede firefighting efforts because personnel have been let go, and then in the third paragraph says firefighting jobs have not been affected...if we're going to post stories lets make sure we post stuff that is factual and not just hyperbolic, hysteria helps nobody and distracts from making a real difference.

 

[TX Trophy Hunter]

This article's tagline says the cuts could impede firefighting efforts because personnel have been let go, and then in the third paragraph says firefighting jobs have not been affected...if we're going to post stories lets make sure we post stuff that is factual and not just hyperbolic, hysteria helps nobody and distracts from making a real difference.

People who are not primary firefighters still support fire fighting operations during fire season. They fill logistical support positions on incident management teams on large fires and help the local units logistics on small fires. They also fill in on fire fighting crews to boost man power when needed. They are usually utilized in the off season to help implement prescribed burns when the seasonal firefighting work force is laid off. There is a lot of nuance to it and this knee jerk reaction is not considering any of that.

 

[BuzzH]

This article's tagline says the cuts could impede firefighting efforts because personnel have been let go, and then in the third paragraph says firefighting jobs have not been affected...if we're going to post stories lets make sure we post stuff that is factual and not just hyperbolic, hysteria helps nobody and distracts from making a real difference.

It is factual. Most all field going staff are red carded, including many in the group I work with.

In the past we/they were called pick up crews or district crews. Also, many would be on the fire lists as a single resource (sawyers, safety officers, spotters, etc. etc.). Even further, many district folks are fire camp support, distributing tools, taking care of fire tools, time keepers, and all other sorts of logistics duties. Lots of moving parts with fighting wildland fire, in particular during fire busts or project fires.

Now they call those district crews "militia".

I can post a few hundred pictures of times I spent as both officially on fire crews, helitack crews, and also district/milita crews. In all of those situations we were used for initial attack on fires on district, on forest, and nation wide.

Make no mistake that a lot of wildland fire fighting is done by trail crews, by timber crews, BD crews, even office staff. I've worked on districts where even the office secretaries were digging fire-line right along side the fire crew. Some of them were tougher than woodpecker lips too. I even fought fire beside a district ranger or two in my day as well.

So, don't try to bullshit me and everyone else, because I lived it from 1987-1994 and sucked more smoke and dirt and fought more fire than you'll ever see. Unlike you, I'm not forced to guess.

Now, back to the stories about those that are being impacted by the latest firing...