American Hiking joins nearly 500 organizations in support of federal land management staffing
On February 28, American Hiking Society joined a letter signed on behalf of 495 organizations calling on Congress to immediately reverse the terminations of 5,700 federal land management employees and halt any further workforce reductions to our public land management agencies.
These employees are an essential component to AHS' 50 years of partnership with federal land management agencies to complete critical trail maintenance work with volunteers. This work ensures access to the 59 million strong hiking community! Partnerships are essential to maintaining trails on federal public lands nationwide. These partnerships are not possible without federal land management staff on the ground both full-time and seasonal positions that can work with organizations, like American Hiking Society. Without these employees the critical work cannot be accomplished.
Letter Text
February 28, 2025
United States Senators and Representatives,
On behalf of our members, supporters, and volunteer stewards, we write with significant concerns regarding the recent mass firing of federal employees still within their probationary periods, particularly those individuals who had been employed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), USDA Forest Service (USFS) and the National Park Service (NPS). These firings are unprecedented (approximately 5,700 employees as of now) and made without regard to the agencies’ ability to carry out their mandates as required by law or the impacts on the management of our public lands. This loss of staff will have devastating effects on the protection and management of these lands and cause economic hardship to the communities that surround them. We urge Congress to immediately reverse these terminations and halt any further workforce reductions to our public land management agencies.
Our nation’s public lands are treasures to be stewarded by our land management agencies according to the missions for which Congress created them and the mandates dictated to them by law. It is these agencies whose employees are responsible for protecting these national treasures. These employees are educators, engineers, recreation specialists, permit processors, maintenance staff, campground hosts, front-facing park and forest rangers, wildlife biologists, backcountry safety patrollers, wildland firefighters, trail
construction leaders, and all other kinds of professionals driven to serve their country with their expertise. With a steady decrease in staffing over the last decade, they are often overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid. Without them, however, the natural and cultural resources that belong to all Americans cannot be stewarded. They are vital to the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy, which is an engine of economic development for American communities throughout our nation. These indiscriminate workforce reductions were made on the basis of abstract targets to reduce the federal workforce. The type or importance of the positions and reliance of Americans on their work were not considered. Critical positions such as maintenance, public health, human resources, and education positions have been terminated
throughout the country.
Neither was the human factor of these citizens considered. Some who have trained for years to develop the expertise to serve their country, or were recently promoted in recognition of their service, were let go. Others who uprooted lives, moved across the country, and have exhausted their savings simply because they were called to serve the public were let go. Even high-level position holders, with long histories at one agency who simply transferred to another agency or earned a promotion, were also let go as they were
technically still on probation. These neighbors, colleagues, and community members pay taxes, buy groceries and are vital contributors to their local economies, where the loss of their jobs will cause real hardship.
We urge Congress to immediately reverse these terminations and halt any further workforce reductions.
Sincerely,
350.org
365 Degree Total Marketing
Ala Kahakai Trail Association
Alamosa Riverkeeper
Alaska Clean Water Advocacy
Alaska Community Action on Toxics
Alaska Institute for Justice
Alaska Soles, Great Old Broads for
Wilderness
Alaska Trails
Alaska Wilderness League
Alianza Coachella Valley
All About Adventure
Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance
Alliance for a Better Utah
Alta Peak Chapter, California Native Plant
Society
Amache Preservation Society
American Baptist Churches, USA
American Bird Conservancy
American Discovery Trail Society
American Hiking Society
American Whitewater
Amigos De Los Rios
Anacostia Riverkeeper
Animal Welfare Institute
Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Voices
Archaeology Southwest
Arizona Faith Network
Arizona Trail Association
Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement
Association of National Park Rangers
Atomic Heritage Foundation
Auburn-Opelika Tourism
Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico
Backcountry Horsemen of Oregon
Sourdough Chapter
Bacon Street Youth and Family Services
Bark
Bark for Mt Hood
Bear Creek Consulting
Bicycle Adventures, Inc.
Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay
Bird Alliance of Oregon
Black Hills Clean Water Alliance
Black Warrior Riverkeeper
Bolsa Chica Land Trust
Boston Harbor Now
Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors
Bureau
Bozeman Birders
Braided Seeds
Build Lebanon Trails
Buka Environmental
CactusToCloud Institute
California Environmental Voters
California Institute for Biodiversity
California Mountain Biking Coalition
California Native Plant Society
California Native Plant Society Mojave
Desert Chapter
California Native Seed Supply
Collaborative
Californians for Western Wilderness
CalWild
Cane River National Heritage Area
Carriages of Acadia, Inc.
Cascade Backcountry Alliance
Cascade Forest Conservancy
Cascade Volunteers
Center for a Sustainable Coast
Center for Community Action and
Environmental Justice
Center for Large Landscape Conservation
Center for Sustainable Communities
Central Cascades Winter Recreation
Council
Central Sierra Environmental Resource
Center
Central/Eastern Oregon Chapter of the
Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Chattahoochee National Park
Conservancy
Chattooga Conservancy
Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium, A
Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate
Cherokee Concerned Citizens
Cherokee Forest Voices
Chispa Arizona
Christians For The Mountains
Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior
City of Issaquah
Clackamas River Basin Council
Clarksburg Visitors Bureau
Climate and Wildfire Institute
Climate Law & Strategy
Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection
Coalition to Protect America's National
Parks
Coastal Carolina Riverwatch
Cog Wild Bicycle Tours
Collier County Waterkeeper
Colorado Mountain Bike Association
Colorado Mountain Club
Colorado Native Plant Society,
Conservation Committee
Colorado Wild Public Lands
Colorado Wildlands Project
Colt Park Foundation, Inc.
Community Land Shepherds
Concord Freedom
Concord Trails Committee
Connecting Nature
Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley
National Park
Conservation Colorado
Conservation Lands Foundation
Conservation Minnesota
Conservation Northwest
Conservation Voters New Mexico
Conserve Southwest Utah
Continental Divide Trail Coalition
Cook Inletkeeper
Coosa River Basin Initiative
Creation Justice Ministries
Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail
Cycle Yamhill County
Cyclotour Guide Books
Deer Tail Scientific
Defenders of Wildlife
Delaware River Greenway Partnership
Dickinson County Trails Board
Dolores River Boating Advocates
Duncan Development
Earth Ethics, Inc.
Earthjustice
ecoAmerica
EcoFlight
Edisto Chamber of Commerce
Edmonson County Tourist and
Convention Commission
Enchanted Circle Trails Association
Endangered Habitats League
Endangered Species Coalition
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Environmental Protection Information
Center
Environmental Services International LLC
Evergreen Escapes
Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance
Explore Brookhaven
Explore Estill
Farm 51
Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and
Ecology
FireGeneration Collaborative
Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy's
Environmental Coalition
Forest Bridges: The O&C Forest Habitat
Project
Forest Keeper
Forest Stewards Guild
Forest Unlimited
ForeverGreen Trails
Four Way Community Foundation
Franklin D. Roosevelt Hyde Park
Foundation
Friends of the Eel River
Friends of Acadia
Friends of Blackwater, Inc.
Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara
Friends of Congaree Swamp
Friends of Dyke Marsh
Friends of Fairsted
Friends of Fish Lake
Friends of Fish Lake and HistoriCorps
Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National
Park
Friends of Ironwood Forest
Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters
Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
Friends of Minidoka
Friends of Minute Man National Park
Friends of Plumas Wilderness
Friends of Pu'uhonua o Honaunau
National Historical Park
Friends of Rio Grande del Norte
Friends of Saguaro National Park
Friends of San Pablo Bay National Wildlife
Refuge
Friends of Save our Heritage
Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness
Friends of the 500th
Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands
Friends of the Clearwater
Friends of the Dunes
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Inyo
Friends of the Kalmiopsis
Friends of the North Pikes Creek
Wetlands
Friends of the Sonoran Desert
Friends of the Springfield Armory National
Historic Site
Friends of the West Shore
Friends of Vicksburg National Military
Park and Campaign
Friends of Wisconsin State Parks
Friends of Women’s Rights National
Historical Park
Gallatin Wildlife Association
Gila Chapter Back Country Horsemen of
America
Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance
Glen Canyon Institute
Golden Bricks Events
Grand Canyon Trust
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners
Grant Monument Association
Great Basin Resource Watch
Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Great Salt Lake Waterkeeper
Greater Gadsden Area Tourism
Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Green America
Greenbrier River Watershed Assoc. Inc.
Groton Ayer Buzz
Ground Squirrel Research
Ground Work Trails
Gunpowder Riverkeeper
Hamilton Partnership for Paterson
Hampshire County Convention & Visitors
Bureau
Headwaters Trails Alliance
Heather Nold
Henderson Tourist Commission
High Country Conservation Advocates
Hills For Everyone
Historic Pullman Foundation
Historicorp
Hot Springs Advertising & Promotion
Commission
Humboldt Waterkeeper
Idaho Conservation League
Idaho Trails Association
Idyllwild Forest Health Project
Inland Ocean Coalition
Intentional Hiking
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Issaquah Alps Trails Club
Issaquah Ice Cream Trike
Jackson County Tourism Development
Authority
Japanese American Citizens League
Kalmiopsis Audubon Society
Kayak Academy
Kentucky Heartwood
Kentucky Tourism Services Inc
Kettle Range Conservation Group
King County Play Equity Coalition
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center
KLM and Associates
Large Carnivore Fund
Lassen Forest Preservation Group
Latino Outdoors
Laura Beth Strickland
League of Conservation Voters
Lewis County CVB?Stonewallcountry
Liberty Tourism & Convention
Commission
Lofts on Central
Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust
Los Padres ForestWatch
Lowelifes Respectable Citizens' Club
Machine-Free Trails Association
Maine Audubon
Malach Consulting
Marin County Bicycle Coalition
Megafire Action
Methow Valley Citizens Council
Mi Familia Vota
Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts
(MORE)
Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Mining Impact Coalition of Wisconsin
Mississippi Park Connection
Mississippi Tourism Association
Missouri River Bird Observatory
Montana Conservation Voters
Morehead-Rowan County Tourism
Morongo Basin Conservation Association
Mother Lode Chapter - Sierra Club
Mount Diablo Bird Alliance
Mount Rushmore Society
Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center
Mountains to Sound Greenway National
Heritage Area
MountainTrue
MT Organizing Project
National Association of Forest Service
Retirees
National Park Friends Alliance
National Park Hospitality Association
National Park Partners of Chickamauga,
Chattanooga, and Moccasin Bend
National Parks Conservation Association
National Parks of Lake Superior
Foundation
National Religious Coalition on Creation
Care
National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Refuge Association
Native Organizers Alliance
Natural Resources Defense Council
Nature for All
Nature Forward
New Belgium Brewing Company
New Insights
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium
New Mexico Climate Justice
New Mexico Sportsmen
New Mexico Wild
New York - New Jersey Trail Conference
North Cascade Films
North Fork Preservation Association
North Sound Waterkeeper/RE Sources
North West WI Equestrian Friends
Network
Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition
Northeast Tennessee Tourism
Northern Alaska Environmental Center
Northwest Colorado Great Old Broads
Northwest portal
Northwest WI Equestrian Friends
NY/NJ Baykeeper
Oakridge Trails Alliance
Ocean Conservation Research
Ohio Environmental Council
Old North Illuminated
Oldham County KY Tourism
Olympic Hiking Co.
Olympic Park Advocates
Oregon Equestrian Trails
Oregon Natural Desert Association
Oregon Outdoor Recreation Advisory
Council
Oregon Parks Forever
Oregon Trails Coalition
Oregon Wild
Outdoor Equity Coalition
Outward Bound Adventures
Overmountain Victory Trail Association
Ozark Riverways Foundation
Ozark Trail Association
Pacific Crest Trail Association
Park City Tourist & Convention
Commission
Park County Environmental Council
Park Overlook Farm
Partnership for the National Trails System
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance
Peace in the Wild
Pelecanus
Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society
Physicians for Social Responsibility PA
Pilchuck Audubon Society
Pinchot Institute for Conservation
Powell County Tourism Commission
Prairie Rivers Network
Preserve Calavera
Prestonsburg Tourism
Dr. Linda J. Bilmes, Professor, Harvard
Kennedy School
Project Eleven Hundred
Protect the Kobuk
Public Lands Alliance
Public Lands Foundation
Putnam County Tourism
Quiet Use Coalition
Rachel Carson Council
Rainier BaseCamp
Raritan Riverkeeper
Red Line Parkway Initiative
Redbud Audubon Society
Regeneración
Releaf
Resinate with Ames, LLC
Resource Renewal Institute
Restore Oregon
Rio Grande Indivisible, NM
Rising Routes Alliance
Riverkeeper
Rock Creek Conservancy Inc.
Rocky Mountain Conservancy
Rocky Mountain Wild
Rogue Riverkeeper
Roosevelt Campobello International Park
Rosedale Neighborhood Association
Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition
Russian Riverkeeper
Sage Trail Alliance
Sakura Foundation
Salamander Volunteer Trail Crew
Salem Area Trail Allliance
San Joaquin River Parkway &
Conservation Trust, Inc.
San Jose Conservation Corps
San Juan Citizens Alliance
San Juan Kayak Expeditions - The
Adventure Hub
San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council
San Luis Valley Great Outdoors
San Pedro 100
Sand Creek Massacre Foundation
Sandy Hook Foundation
Satilla Riverkeeper
Save Our Earth
Save Our Heritage
Save the Dunes
Save the Yellowstone Grizzly
SAWS
Securing Economic and Energy
Democracy
Seneca Lake Guardian
Sequoia Parks Conservancy
Shār Snacks
Sheep Mountain Alliance
Sierra Business Council
Sierra Club
Sierra Club Wyoming Chapter
Sierra Foothills Audubon Society
Sierra Forest Legacy
Sierra Nevada Alliance
Silver Valley Community Resource Center
Silvix Resources
Siskiyou Crest Coalition
SItka Trail Works
Sky Island Alliance
Snake River Waterkeeper
Snowlands Network
Sonoma Land Trust
South Coast Tours LLC
South San Juan Broadband
South Yuba River Citizens League
Southeast Alaska Conservation Council
Southeast Tourism Society
Southern Environmental Law Center
Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
Southwest Montana Mountain Bike
Association
Southwest Native Cultures
Southwest Wetlands Interpretive
Association
Spokane Parks Foundation
Standing Trees
Steven Fullerton
Susitna River Coalition
Sustainable Tucson
Sustainable Water Network
SWMMBA
TeamTLC
The Adventure Hub
The Arizona Deserts National Parks
Partnership
The Clinch Coalition
The Colorado Mountain Club
The Environmental Law Society of
Vermont Law & Graduate School
The Fund for People in Parks
The League to Save Lake Tahoe
The Mountaineers
The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
The Service Board
The Street Trust - Oregon
The Student Conservation Association
The Vermont Mountain Bike Association
The Wilderness Need Association
The Wilderness Society
The Wilderness Society
Third Act
Three Rivers Waterkeeper
Town of Breckenridge Open Space & Trails
Trail Access Project
Trail Riders of Today
Travel Unity
TREAD
Trinity Coalition
TROT
True Wind Collaborative
Trust for Public Land
Try This WV
Tucson Organic Gardeners
Tuleyome
Turtle Island Restoration Network
Ulysses S. Grant Association
Unite the Parks
United States Tour Operators Association
University of Washington, School of
Environmental and Forest Sciences
Upper Gila Watershed Alliance
Upper Housatonic Valley NHA
Utah Physicians for a Healthy
Environment
Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance
Vermont Huts Association
Very Concerned Citizen
Vet Voice Foundation
Virginia Wilderness Committee
Visit Issaquah
Visit St. Francisville
VisitLEX
Voyageurs Conservancy
Wasatch Backcountry Alliance
Washington Wild
Waterkeeper Alliance
Waterkeepers Chesapeake
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
West
West Virginia Environmental Council
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
West Virginia Rivers Coalition
Western Colorado Alliance
Western Environmental Law Center
Western Resource Advocates
Western Slope Conservation Center
Western Watersheds Project
Wild Cumberland
Wild Livelihoods Business Coalition
Wild Montana
Wild Rivers Conservancy
Wilderness Workshop
Wildlands Network
Wildlife Conservation Society, Arctic
Beringia Program
Willamette Riverkeeper
Willamette Valley Chapter Native Plant
Society of Oregon
Winter Wildlands Alliance
Wolf Creek Community Alliance
Women’s institute for Leadership and
Learning
WV Headwaters Waterkeeper
Wyoming Outdoor Council
Wyoming Wilderness Association
Wyoming Wildlife Advocates
Youth Outdoor Experience - Ironwood
Tree Experience
Youth United for Climate Crisis Action
Zero Hour
