February might be the shortest month of the year, but it has certainly felt long enough. From unraveling 50 years of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) law to taking a chainsaw to the federal workforce, it’s been a month.

Here’s what you need to know—and how you can take action.

Mass Federal Layoffs Hit Public Lands Agencies:

On Valentine’s Day, the White House fired thousands of federal employees, including many responsible for stewarding public lands. Among those terminated from agencies like the Forest Service and Park Service were staff who worked to keep public lands accessible, sanitary, and ecologically healthy.

These cuts, coupled with a federal spending freeze and new restrictions on agency employees’ interactions with the public, are creating major uncertainty for public lands and recreation management.

In response, we are:

• Raising hue and cry in Congress (you can, too—share this form!).
• Connecting affected federal employees with local and national media to amplify their stories and highlight the vital role of federal workers to our public lands.
• In Colorado, we have been mobilizing winter recreation users and businesses to submit testimony in support of the Rio Grande National Forest to local County Commissioners and helping organize a “Public Lands Love-In” to show appreciation for San Juan National Forest employees.

How you can help:

If you have information to share about how the federal layoffs are affecting public lands near you, or know impacted federal employees willing to share their stories, please help us gather these stories! 

NEPA Rollbacks: What’s Changing?

On February 25th, the Trump Administration issued an Interim Final Rule rescinding the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ’s) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. This follows guidance issued on February 19 that requires agencies to revise their own NEPA regulations to comply with the President’s January 20, 2025 Unleashing American Energy Executive Order.

Since 1978, CEQ’s NEPA regulations have ensured NEPA was implemented consistently across the federal government, with every agency following the same basic processes when it came to environmental analysis and decision-making. Without them, we could see a fragmented, less protective system.

While we expect the February 19 guidance will lead to changes to Forest Service NEPA regulations, for now, the Forest Service will continue to follow existing Forest Service NEPA procedures.

In a related (but now moot) development, a North Dakota judge ruled that CEQ lacked the authority to promulgate binding NEPA regulations, reversing the 2023 NEPA regulations developed under the Biden Administration’s CEQ.

New Leadership at the Forest Service

Forest Service Chief Randy Moore announced his retirement on February 25, followed quickly by the appointment of Tom Schultz as the next Chief. Schultz previously served as Vice President of Resources and Government Affairs at Idaho Forest Group.

Legislation to Watch: The SHRED Act

The Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development (SHRED) Act was reintroduced in Congress this month. The bill proposes that ski area permit fees stay within the Forest Service rather than being sent to the U.S. Treasury.

While we support the idea of keeping these funds within the Forest Service, we’re concerned about how the money would be spent. The bill prioritizes reinvesting funds into the ski area program rather than broader recreation needs. Check out this excellent Wyoming Public Radio piece for more context.

Winter Ambassador Program in Action

Meanwhile, our Winter Ambassador program is in full swing. Megan, our California Stewardship Manager and Stanislaus Winter Ambassador has been stepping up on the ground and supporting the Stanislaus National Forest. Recently, she’s helped the forest start to clear and reestablish a non-motorized trail that would allow users to avoid having to share a road with over-snow vehicles and supported forest staff on multiple snowshoe hikes, helping teach the public about the importance of conserving our wild snowscapes.

Megan has also been working with Kelly, our Tahoe-area Winter Ambassador (made possible with support from our friends at Snowlands Network!) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to collaborate on how to address snowmobile trespass into a protected wildlife area.