Photo by Eric Philips

Hut trip vibes were an especially appreciated recharge this month, given the challenges facing public lands conservation these days. Public lands and outdoor recreation face unprecedented uncertainty. Here’s some of what’s happening:

Uncertainty and Anxiety

Federal Workforce Cuts 

There is a strong undercurrent of anxiety and uncertainty over what will become of the federal agencies who steward our public lands, manage and support outdoor recreation, and conduct science critical to understanding the natural world in the face of the Administration’s efforts to drastically shrink and remake the federal workforce.

One spot of bright news has been that many federal employees were reinstated after multiple courts ruled that the mass-firing of probationary employees was illegal. However, we fully expect many of these workers, and more, to be laid off again when the agencies complete White House-mandated Reduction in Force initiatives. 

In related news, you may have heard that the Park Service has authority to hire hundreds of seasonal employees. While that’s good news for the National Parks (assuming the agency is actually able to get people hired before summer), the Forest Service hiring freeze remains in place.

With agency capacity severely limited, Ambassador programs like WWA’s Winter Ambassador program in California are playing a key role in sustainable recreation management through visitor education.  

Public Lands Funding

Funding for public lands is also uncertain. Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) March 14, funding the government for FY25. However, unlike most (all?) past CRs, this bill did not include specific line items for various agency programs. This means it’s unclear how much money is available for recreation management, land management planning, conservation programs, research, etc. across each agency. If you want to dive in, compare the recent CR with the March 2024 appropriations bill it is based upon. 

We’re hearing from Congressional offices that they are hearing loud and clear that their constituents are unhappy with the staffing cuts the Administration has taken. We need to keep the pressure on. Use this form to quickly and easily send a letter to your representatives! Next, share the link with your friends and family. Encourage your community to send letters to Congress in support of public lands. 

Environmental Laws and Public Land Protections Under Attack

National Environmental Policy Act:

In late February the White House moved to significantly weaken the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by eliminating the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations. For decades, CEQ’s NEPA regulations have provided direction for how the environmental impact analyses required by NEPA should take place, regardless of agency.

Without CEQ NEPA regulations, we anticipate reduced government transparency, reduced opportunities for public participation in government decision-making, and more delays and inefficiencies. Read more on our blog.

Public Lands Opened to Mining

On March 20, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production,” putting all public lands, including protected areas, at immediate risk of mining. The Order fast-tracks domestic mining on federal lands, citing that mining should be the primary purpose of these lands. The Order also significantly broadens the list of “critical minerals” and enacts the Cold War-era Defense Production Act (DPA), which would subsidize companies that already mine hardrock minerals without paying royalties. This Order puts the Boundary Waters and many other special places in the crosshairs.  

Ambler Road Controversy

The Department of the Interior recently issued a press release stating the Department’s intentions to pave the way for the Ambler Road in Alaska, a 2024 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decision to deny permits for the Ambler Road. Specifically, Interior intends to pursue actions that would allow for transfers of key federal parcels of land along the road corridor to the State of Alaska. 

This move threatens the wilderness of the Brooks Range including the communities and wildlife that rely on it. We will continue to defend the Brooks Range, so stay tuned for opportunities to take action!

In Central Idaho, students at Basin Elementary ventured out into their local winter wildlands on snowshoes, turning snow-covered forests into living classrooms.

Kindergarteners followed animal tracks in the snow. Fourth graders became citizen scientists, measuring snowpack depth and contributing to real-world research.  Meanwhile, 6th graders examined the geospatial variability of mountain snow and discussed nearby SNOTEL data , gaining firsthand insight into the science behind their local watershed.

This year’s Snow School experience was one of the best for our students!

– Jamie Pilkerton, Basin Elementary Principal

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.

Welcome Our Newest Grassroots Groups!

Winter Wildlands Alliance is starting off 2025 by welcoming two new groups to our Grassroots Network:

• Boise-Payette Backcountry Alliance (Boise, ID): is working to help create, preserve, and manage areas of public land across the Boise and Payette National Forests (and surrounding regions) for quiet, non-motorized winter recreation.
• Barkeater Trails Alliance (Lake Placid, NY): builds, maintains, and advocates for a system of community and backcountry trails for ski touring and mountain biking in the greater High Peaks region of the Adirondack Park.

In other grassroots news, we’re giving a congratulatory pole tap to Wasatch Backcountry Alliance for their recent news that they’ve secured backcountry skier access to Cardiff Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon this season. Learn more on their blog here.

One Week In…

As I write this, we’re into week two of the new Trump administration, and I know many are wondering what the changing political winds will mean for conservation and winter recreation advocacy. While there have been many political promises made, for the most part there has been little immediate on-the-ground change. Most policies will take time to play out. Here’s what we’re watching:

Public Lands In Alaska:

The Executive Order pertaining to Alaska directs the Secretaries of federal agencies to review, revise or rescind certain Biden Administration actions in Alaska, including those pertaining to the Ambler Road and roadless lands on the Tongass National Forest. However, this triggers no immediate on-the-ground action. Those fights are around the corner.

Federal Hiring Freeze:

The federal hiring freeze significantly impacts outdoor recreation management and planning in the near (and long) term as key roles go unfilled (for example, see this article about NPS jobs). Considering that many of the Forest Service projects we are engaged in are already stalled out because of a need to fill key job vacancies, this freeze will only exacerbate ongoing challenges for capacity-strapped federal agencies.

Fossil Fuel & Mineral Development:

We are also closely watching for fallout from the “national energy emergency” and “unleashing American energy” executive orders, which are intended to spur new fossil fuel and mineral development projects with little oversight or consideration of consequences.

Among other things, the President has ordered the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to reassess any mineral withdrawals for potential revision with an eye toward whether or not the withdrawal presents an undue burden to mineral development. Among the many things affected by this would be the Boundary Waters (MN) and Thompson Divide (CO) mineral withdrawals.

Climate and Environmental Justice:

Other early executive orders that have us concerned are those targeting climate and environmental justice policies. Regardless of any executive orders saying otherwise, we’re going to keep referring to The Great One by its proper name, Denali (a position that aligns with Alaska’s state and federal lawmakers).

Meanwhile in Congress…

We’re also keeping an eye on the other branches of government. The House kicked off the new Congress by voting to classify public lands sell-offs or transfers as “revenue neutral,” making it easier to justify selling off public lands. Legislation always comes with a budgetary score and this action allows the House to pretend that getting rid of public land is “free.” At the same time, the House is also considering federal land sell-offs as a possible way to generate revenue. Go figure.

Boundary Waters

U.S. Congresswoman Betty McCollum re-introduced legislation to permanently protect Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park from the threat of copper mining, guarding against the Administrative rollbacks mentioned above. Use this form to urge your lawmakers to support McCollum’s bill.

Meanwhile, Congressman Pete Stauber recently reintroduced a Boundary Waters bill that seeks the opposite outcome. Previous versions of this bill included revocation of the historic 2023 20-year mining ban, reinstatement of Twin Metals canceled mineral leases, the barring of judicial review of these leases, and the requirement of rapid approval of a Twin Metals mine plan. Click here to oppose Stauber’s bill.

Fix Our Forests Act:

The House also recently passed the Fix Our Forests Act. While this bill has some provisions we support, on the whole it undermines conservation and outdoor recreation interests on Forest Service lands by exempting certain forestry projects from review under the National environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (why bother analyzing which trees to cut down?) and the Endangered Species Act. These and other provisions would make it nearly impossible to challenge forestry projects.

Learn more and take action on Fix Our Forests with Outdoor Alliance, here.

Notes from the Field

‘Tis the season for winter recreation data collection, and Megan Fiske, WWA’s California Stewardship Manager, and Brittany Leffel, WWA’s CO Policy Manager, are hard at work leading these efforts in Colorado and California.

In Colorado, Brittany has been busy working with regional partnership initiatives and local groups in southwest Colorado to implement winter recreation monitoring plans and utilize the RIMS app to collect accurate, on-the-ground data to support thoughtful winter travel planning and advocacy.

Alongside data collection, Brittany is working with recreation stakeholder groups in the region to elevate opportunities to balance uses and minimize conflict through community plans that the Forest Service can adapt once they tackle winter travel planning.

In California, in addition to data collection on the Stanislaus National Forest, Megan is helping Stanislaus forest staff put up new winter recreation signs and is assisting with outreach efforts to winter visitors. She has also been coordinating data collection with our Winter Ambassadors in the Tahoe area and on the Lassen National Forest.

Megan is also working with the Forest Service and other winter recreation organizations on the Lassen and Tahoe National Forests to develop new signs and other materials to help educate the public about those forests’ new winter travel plans.

Photo by Bianca Germain