Missoula, MT — In a significant workforce reduction, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has announced that thousands of employees will lose their jobs, with 360 positions in Montana alone set to be eliminated. This move is part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration aimed at shrinking the federal workforce and cutting government spending.
The USFS, which currently employs around 35,000 individuals across the country, will see a reduction of approximately 10% in its staff. While the exact positions being cut in Montana remain unclear, the layoffs are primarily focused on employees still within their probationary period, leaving many workers without the necessary tenure to retain their roles.
Exemptions to the cuts include public safety employees within the USFS, ensuring that vital services will continue to function without interruption. Additionally, firefighter jobs are not impacted by the layoffs, though other positions related to wildfire prevention efforts are among those being eliminated.
The cuts are expected to affect the agency’s ability to manage federal lands effectively, especially in the face of growing concerns over wildfires and forest health. Support roles crucial to wildfire prevention, such as fire mitigation and forest management staff, will bear the brunt of the layoffs, raising questions about the long-term implications for forest safety and land stewardship.
While the precise number of employees affected in Montana has not yet been confirmed, the state’s forestry and wildfire management community is bracing for a major shift. Local officials and advocacy groups have voiced concerns over the potential strain on the USFS’s ability to respond to the increasing demands of wildfire management and forest care, particularly as the state experiences more frequent and severe wildfire seasons.
The decision to reduce the size of the federal workforce is not unique to the USFS. Other federal agencies, including the Department of Energy and the Small Business Administration, are also planning similar cuts as part of the administration’s broader cost-reduction strategy. However, the scale of the USFS layoffs is drawing particular attention, given the essential services the agency provides in managing public lands, maintaining ecosystems, and preventing wildfires.
As the details of the layoffs continue to unfold, employees and communities across Montana are left to navigate the uncertainty of the future, with many hoping for clarity on which positions will be eliminated in the coming months.
