By Kevin Proescholdt and George Nickas, Wilderness Watch
The news is filled with stories of how the Trump administration and its so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have fired thousands of federal employees who work for our public land agencies. Though Trump had been talking about gutting the federal workforce, the way it was done without regard for how it would affect the agencies’ ability to carry out their responsibilities came as quite a shock.
As one U.S. Forest Service wilderness ranger wrote in a recent Wilderness Watch blog:
“The dust has had time to settle, and we can now assess the damage. All probationary Forest Service employees in ‘non-fire’ positions were fired. There are almost no wilderness rangers left in my state and many of my neighboring states. Beyond Wilderness, there are almost no field-going recreation employees left. The temporaries are gone, the permanent seasonals are gone. Without staff, many ranger districts will struggle to even utilize volunteers.”
In a recent meeting that Wilderness Watch attended, the Forest Service described the impacts of cuts to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in central Washington. The popular and spectacular Enchantments area of the Wilderness typically has 10-12 wilderness rangers each summer who patrol and clean up after the 100,000 visitors that descend on the area each year. This year there will be only one wilderness ranger, who will have to share their time between the Enchantments and another 150,000 acres of Wilderness on the ranger district. It’s an utterly impossible task that will result in significant damage to these priceless lands. Similar stories are playing out in other Wildernesses as the Trump cuts kick in.
The layoffs, firings, and forced early retirements didn’t just hit field-going crews. For the Forest Service, the national program leader has left, and eight of the nine regional offices are now without wilderness staff. Major cuts have hit Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs as well. The combination of chaotic firings and early retirements means the most experienced agency wilderness people are now gone.
Yet the untold story is that the downfall of wilderness programs has been a long time in the making. By the time Trump and Musk started recklessly eliminating jobs, Wilderness was one of the areas already hardest hit—not because of sheer numbers laid off or fired, but because there were already relatively few wilderness staff left. This is especially true for the Forest Service, which historically had far and away the most robust wilderness program, but has been gradually shrinking its wilderness crews for years.
The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (SBW) straddling the Bitterroot Mountains along the Montana-Idaho border is a case in point. At more than 1.3 million acres, the SBW is the third largest national forest Wilderness in the entire country. In the early 1990s, the SBW had nine permanent wilderness rangers, eight seasonal wilderness rangers, an entire ranger district—the Moose Creek Ranger District—dedicated solely to the SBW, and a wilderness coordinator for the wilderness programs across the six ranger districts and three national forests that oversee the SBW. By 2019, however, this robust wilderness program had dwindled to just three permanent and one seasonal wilderness rangers. The coordinator position was gone, and the Moose Creek District had been merged with an adjacent multiple-use district.
Last fall, things got even worse, even before DOGE and Trump, when then-Forest Service Chief Randy Moore announced that in 2025 there would be no hiring of temporary (seasonal) employees—a group that has historically made up a significant number of wilderness rangers and trail crew. For many Wildernesses, Moore’s edict was going to result in no field presence at all. And numbers tell only part of the story. What was also being lost was decades of institutional knowledge, the traditional skills necessary to steward Wilderness, and a voice within the agencies standing up for Wilderness when harmful projects are planned.
Wilderness Watch had raised this concern for decades, but it had been ignored by agency leaders, Congress, and the media. The Forest Service, and to a lesser extent the BLM, tried to cover up their lack of commitment to their wilderness programs by bringing on volunteers to replace professional, seasoned rangers. But now there aren’t enough rangers to even manage the volunteers, so in most cases much of that help is now gone too.
So, what can be done? In the short term, we can hope that the recent DOGE firings will be reversed, either by the courts or by urging our elected officials to restore funding for the agency programs. That could help hold off some of the damage that will undoubtedly occur over the next few years. And we must all redouble our efforts to push back against destructive proposals we know are headed our way.
Longer term, we need a durable response to the decades- long neglect and animus toward Wilderness that, for many years, has been the hallmark of the four agencies that manage Wilderness. We need a fundamental change to how Wilderness is administered and safeguarded across the land.
Twenty-five years ago, the four federal land agencies commissioned the Pinchot Institute for Conservation to do an assessment of their wilderness programs. The panel consisted of a number of wilderness luminaries, and it took input from wilderness conservationists and wilderness critics around the country. But it spent most of its time talking with federal agency wilderness leaders themselves. The report recognized the unique challenges of protecting and preserving Wilderness and the dedication of many of the staff involved, but nonetheless concluded that the agencies’ collective lack of commitment would lead to the eventual loss of the Wilderness System.
One of the panelists, former Secretary of Interior Stewart Udall, who served in both Congress and the Cabinet (as well as on the Wilderness Watch board of directors), was unequivocal in his conclusion that the four land management agencies weren’t up to the task. He urged the panel to recommend that the overarching responsibilities for Wilderness be placed in a new agency, one dedicated solely to the wilderness task. In calling for creating a new “National Wilderness Service,” Udall wrote:
“We must show the courage to suggest and promote alternatives that will create real change. We should pursue them with the energy and boldness of people like Bob Marshall and Howard Zahniser, who promoted an idea that seemed extreme in their day, but that most Americans now take for granted.”
When the dust settles, attempting to recreate the situation that existed prior to the Trump raids would be a fool’s errand, destined to condemn our precious National Wilderness Preservation System to the dustbin of history. Rather, we should see the near total elimination of the current failing programs as an opportunity to create something much better, a new entity that is passionate about the challenge of protecting and preserving our incomparable National Wilderness Preservation System. Udall’s call for a National Wilderness Service totally dedicated to that cause, and filled with public servants truly committed to that charge, is a great place to start.
Kevin Proescholdt is the conservation director and George Nickas is the executive director of Wilderness Watch.
Photo: Trail crew in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness by USFS
220 Comments
We need to punish those who lift wildlife protections.
save our wilderness areas
Whatever is needed to sustain our wilderness must be done. We must protect Wilderness for all of us and future generations. I cannot imagine that we could live without it. Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren – we owe it to them. I don’t know what my life would have been without it.
I think that our National Wilderness Preservation System should be placed in a new agency dedicated solely to the Wilderness Task. Wilderness keeps us healthy. Maybe Kennedy should take note of this!
Our wilderness areas are not just landscapes, they are the soul of our nation. Vital to biodiversity, climate resilience, and the human spirit. Yet decades of neglect and reckless cuts have pushed them to the brink. The loss of rangers, trail crews, and institutional knowledge is a crisis we can no longer ignore.
Piecemeal solutions won’t suffice. We need transformational change: a National Wilderness Service, as Stewart Udall envisioned. An agency dedicated solely to protecting these irreplaceable lands. This isn’t just about restoring funding; it’s about reimagining stewardship with the urgency and passion these wild places deserve.
We must act now to reverse the damage, but we also need bold, systemic action. Let’s honor the legacy of Wilderness by fighting for its future. The time for half-measures is over.
Michael, I agree with your comment 100%
Save our wil places for generations of people and animals
The wilderness needs to be protected
Please do not ignore these issues. Save the lands!!
I agree. Are you stepping up to do this task?
We need all the wildlife employees that we have and need to hire more. Cutting the force is super stupid.
As a Science Teacher/Outdoor & Environmental Educator, Science/STEM Professional (Emphasis: Environmental Science), Nature/Wilderness/Biodiversity/Recreation Advocate, and an extremely concerned citizen, I wholeheartedly care deeply about the preservation of the natural world in order to benefit ALL life on Earth!! We MUST do everything we can to protect and preserve the natural world for generations to come!! I’m extremely worried right now about the potential loss of the natural world and the effect it will have on humans!!
The neglect of these precious lands is a crime. The loss of flora and fauna studied by scientists will be stunted.
This is irreparable. Once it it’s gone it is gone forever.
We are living through my worst nightmares right now and I have never feared more for the future of wilderness. The long, slow degradation of wilderness I’ve witnessed over the last two decades has accelerated dramatically due to the loss of personnel and lack of political will. I love the idea of a wilderness agency, but it’s hard to see how that could come about without considerable pressure from the public, and perhaps even from the agencies themselves. And time is of the essence, as substantial, long-term damage is being done to the NWPS as I write this. We need a stop-gap measure to hold the line in the meantime. I don’t know what that looks like, honestly, but count me in!
I can only imagine the impact this will have on our beautiful lands!
It’s just so very sad this is happening!
We’ll need a strong and active agency that protects our national parks and federal lands for all Americans to enjoy, especially our children, so they can learn to appreciate this irreplaceable resource.
Enough nonsense. If Trump gets his way cities across the country will be polluted to the levels they were in the 70’s in a matter on months.
I agree, Timothy! Trump only views America’s Wilderness as a “Commodity” to be financially exploited! We all must speak up, stand up & push back against this corrupt & heartless administration & their toxic & cruel agenda! We must Protest!
I’m sorry to say there won’t be any going back to what there was.
Everything will have to start over again and I pray we have what it takes. I pray for the animals, mammals, Mother Earth and Mother Nature. We’ve been heading down hill for so very long and finally Trump and his supports are pushing us over the cliff. But WE can’t give up the fight, WE can’t give in! Prayers and pushing our way back up are all we have.
Greetings. Please save all wildernesses and the jobs that are needed to effectively run such wildernesses. Thank you.
Wilderness is our life.
We need to have agencies protecting wildlife rather than destroying it. Trump and his cronies only care about profits.
If we were living properly in proper numbers, everything would be wilderness. The problems are wrongful lifestyles/overconsumption and overpopulation. If we don’t fix those, even the wilderness will eventually be consumed. Humans went off the rails thousands of years ago, and it’s way past time to turn around and start moving in the right direction for a change. It will almost certainly take thousands more years to fix all this — to the extent it can be fixed; some things like human-caused extinctions can’t be fixed — but if we don’t get started, it will never get fixed.
Start with where your last sentence ended, and go for it!
The efforts of the criminals in the present US maladministration to destroy our national (and natural) treasures, our national parks, forests and Wilderness, must stop.
Rehire ALL the illegally removed employees, and restore all of the positions lost – NOW!
The damage being done may be recovered, eventually, but the longer this goes on, the longer it will take to recover.
I hope many young, willing to work younger people will aid in this crisis. I wish I were able to do so but I’m not so please anyone out there who has the passion for our wild places and the wild creatures who inhabit there step up because we will need decent and caring volunteers who live on our planet. It’s quite obvious that our present government does not care.
I remember Secretary of Interior Stewart Udall. He was a true proponent of the value of saving and protecting wilderness areas for all Amercans forever. I agree that the four land management agencies have done an abysmal job and are too influenced by political pressure and cave to industry and Congress to weaken wilderness protections. Dedicated staff often have to resign for their mental health and/or under pressure to comply with the pollitical pressures. Udall was prescient in calling for creating a new “National Wilderness Service,” .
Following many years of deliberate underfunding and understaffing, it is way past time to our precious National Wilderness Preservation System to be managed and protected by a much better, new entity that is passionate about the challenge of protecting and preserving our incomparable National Wilderness Preservation System. We Americans love our designated wilderness areas and the current splintered and dire situation cannot continue. Millions of Americans and many from other countries visit our wilderness areas every year and unfortunatley leave behind trash, trail wear and tear and and even destruction. We must have an agengy that is fully funded and very well staffed with wilderness rangers to teach visitors how to visit and appreciate wilderness, and science based educated professionals along with seasonal staff and administrative staff to serve and protect it.
We Must Protect Our Earth Our Environment, Air, Water, Food, Ocean, Land, Space, All Animals Under The Ocean, The Birds Of The Air, & All Animals On Land Even Our House Animals (Pets) Every Single Animals, Take Care Of Our Trees & Plants. Clean Up Our Garbage. Do Our Part. NOW! CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL WE DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME! WE NEED WORLD PEACE NOW! WE NEED TO STOP WAR & STARVATION & NO WATER EVERYONE NEEDS WATER TO SURVIVE!
FOR A KIND, SAFE, HEALTHY and J U S T WORLD>>>
This president could care less about animals and the environment. All he cares about is helping his greedy corporate friends make money at the American taxpayers expense. These parks and lands belong to us not some jerk in the White House that thinks he’s a king!! Save our lands and animals. He should not be allowed to do what he’s doing. Creating an agency that can be trusted to protect wilderness is vital.
Agency leaders, Congress and the media have ignored the serious situation in our National Wilderness Service. The recent layoffs, firings, and forced early retirements are deplorable.
What kind of legacy are we leaving for our children and grandchildren or are we not leaving one at all.
We need to take better care of what is left of our environment, for wildlife, marine life, plant life, and people.
I completely agree that we cannot and should not go back to what we had in place to promote and protect wilderness and environmental health pre-Trump. I also agree we need something better with people involved who are there because they believe in and genuinely want to care for and do what’s best for the planet and all species, not just humans. Frankly, the Forest Service and certainly state Fish and Game organizations often had a lot more commitment to people and political and monetary sway than to environmental protection, conservation, and the health of all species. I do hope we can move forward from the breakage into a truly holistic way of managing our struggling planet.
I support Udall’s call to a start a new National Wilderness Service dedicated to saving and preserving our wilderness areas is the best solution at this time.
We need our Wilderness and so do the Animals
Parks are one of our greatest resources in this nation. It is our responsibility to protect them for the WORLD to enjoy. They may be national parks, but they are a global treasure.
Wilderness must be protected.
Unfortunately, both Trump and Musk are clueless to the important aspects of our public lands and parks. I can bet neither one of them ever spent even an hour at a national park. Their whole focus is making themselves and their billionaire friends more money and not what is best for the people of this country. We as a country are getting screwed because of people voting for a KNOWN LIAR.
Protect our wilderness before it is to late. Now is the time!
The ecology alone is sacred. Money is insignificant.
What a nightmare
Your amazing words give me hope that we can recover from this assault. Keep on fighting for those of us who hear you.
The wilderness DESERVES to be protected because as a human race we are nothing without it!!
Great article. While we’re at it, let’s make the National Wilderness Service forever permanent, so that no misguided person or political body can ever eliminate it or effectively reduce it to nothing. And let’s do the same for the Endangered Species Act and others.
We need wilderness to protect the planet, to provice a safe haven for wildlife, and a nature sanctuary for humans. We need to protect and improve our incomparable National Wilderness Preservation System.
PROTECT MOTHER EARTH AND HER NATURE AND ANIMALS
We need an agency that protects and regenerates our wildlands and wildlife. In Africa when they brought in nearly a million wildebeests, their hooves healed and regenerated their Savannah. We need to do the same; while buffalo and horses leap to mind, it’s all a system and we need everything. Must be linked to our education and research systems. We must learn from indigenous, but we also need to move forward, not all practices from the 1800’s should be continued regardless of whose culture is involved. I speak as a Choctaw Proud.
I love the idea of having a National Wilderness Service instead of the 4 agencies that are not equipped or committed to saving our wilderness and the planet. The wilderness needs people who are committed to protecting the wilderness and wildlife. It is very upsetting to me that the cattle industry is allowed to use the public lands for their financial benefit and cattle are destroying our wilderness. Wilderness habitat is crucial for wildlife. I understand that materials are needed for construction, but we need to think outside of the box and be creative. Land conservation is very important. I have read that deforestation is the leading cause of climate change, and that a lot of the deforestation is due to raising animals for human consumption. This is not sustainable. This is only one of the many reasons I am vegan.
From the moment Trump was sworn in I knew this was going to be devastating for the natural world. Everything is under assault. Every member of the republican party is in lock step with Trump and the oligarchy. If they step out of line they are primaried and thrown off the money train. All made possible by the great scam artist capturing their base and threatening to use their bases against them. I’ve signed petitions till I’m blue in the face. They do not care they are not listening. Hold on.
Set up this new agency to protect our lands and the wild horses and other animals
COME ON!!! STOP BETRAYING OUR ONLY HOME, FOR SELFISH GREED!!!
“The dust has had time to settle, and we can now assess the damage. All probationary Forest Service employees in ‘non-fire’ positions were fired. There are almost no wilderness rangers left in my state and many of my neighboring states. Beyond Wilderness, there are almost no field-going recreation employees left. The temporaries are gone, the permanent seasonals are gone. Without staff, many ranger districts will struggle to even utilize volunteers.”
Any agency that manages the Wilderness should have the Preservation, and Health of the Wilderness as its FIRST Priority. They Should NOT Allow Cattle Operations to Rent Protected Land. They Should NOT Be POISONING What they Consider Nuisance Wildlife. They Kill Hundreds of Collateral Damage In Accidental & Eco Chain Wildlife Deaths. Eating Poisoned Meat, or Prey Accounts for A Monstrous Amount of Unintended Deaths. Human Beings Viewing and Visiting Nature Should Have to Follow All Safety Rules Both For Themselves, and the Wildlife. Wildlife Should Not Be Executed For the Non-Compliant Behavior of Law Breakers. Fire Management, Pesticide Management, and Wildlife Management Should All Be Eco Friendly, and Organic Oriented if Possible. So, Yes, The Current Admins Have Not Succeeded. It Needs to Be REPLACED.
It will be great to see the emphases of the four current services under one roof, focused on protecting, improving the health of, and educating the public on our ailing wilderness system and its living inhabitants.
One of the greatest prides and joys within America is the breadth and width of our varied natural environments, but to adequately maintain and monitor these spaces, a full complement of Federally funded staff and administrations is necessary.
Wilderness preservation my help to preserve us! New medicines may originate from them!
Former Secretary Udall was right to call for a “National Wildlerness Service” totally dedicated to preserving our precious wilderness. We may have to re-invent the programs but following Udall’s guidance would be a good place to start.
One of the truly great things this country has done is set aside land for national parks, national forests and wilderness areas. We set an example for the entire world. Now all of this is threatened by the short sightedness and contempt of this administration – very sad!
Sincere thanks for your work, and I have no doubt many love wilderness as much as I do… BUT…Terms such as “management” of wilderness and “neglect ” of wilderness are unfortunately part of the underlying and subtly and subconsciously influential ANTHROPOCENTRIC semantics that are PART OF THE PROBLEM. That we are so godlike as to control, and that we humans should value wilderness for what good it does for US, vs a more HOLISTICALLY expressed PUBLIC message that ALL BEINGS, i.e., anything that “be’s” from rock to stream to butterfly to bear to other human has just as much right to exist for their own sakes as we do, and need to be treated with respect and appreciation and self-restraint from our admitted POWER to manipulate things.. Our conflict-ridden tribalistic and myopically exploitative history as humans will not cease until we treat ALL BEINGS with greater respect. For each human to live, other beings and places must be affected, but doing so with awareness of the impacts of this necessity on other places and cultures and BEINGS is TOTALLY IGNORED in our incredibly myopic normalized grossly over-consumptive anthronarcissistic “modern” culture….death to the planet by one’s own daily added tiny 1000 cuts we have been self-propagandized into ignoring.
And the relatively recent push for “more access” to wild places by so many groups of purported “nature lovers”, hunters, e-bikers, climbers, etc., is best pointed out for its folly by Yogi Berra’s quote, “No one goes there anymore…It’s too crowded!” Humans need to learn how to leave places ALONE! We are NOT good at that!
We need our beautiful nature and land to survive against those people who do not even care about it. The world needs it.
We must protect our precious wilderness!
please leave our wilderness and staff ALONE.
We ALL need a working crew that cares to safekeep our natural resources.
What this government not seems to understand is that we ALL need clean water and air as well as places without streets and pollution to survive