Policy Update – September 2024
Explore the latest updates on our trip to D.C., changes in the Forest Service, efforts to support wildlife conservation this winter, and more!
Photo by Nathan Anderson
Policy Director Letter
(9/27/2024)
To quote my neighbor’s lawn ornament, “happy fall, y’all!” Snow has dusted the tops of my local mountains a couple of times this month, and the leaves are starting to turn. Winter is just around the corner!
WWA Advocacy in D.C.
Earlier this month, David and I joined 76 other advocates from the larger Outdoor Alliance community—including Wasatch Backcountry Alliance’s Dani Poirier and WWA board member Denis Tuzinovic—to meet with lawmakers and Administration policymakers in Washington, D.C., to push for the legislative and policy priorities we’d like to see come to fruition before the year ends. These include the EXPLORE Act, the most comprehensive outdoor recreation package Congress has ever considered; funding for public land agencies to ensure they can meet the needs of increasing visitor numbers, maintain recreation resources, and tackle important tasks like winter travel planning; the BLM’s Public Lands Rule, which will balance conservation with resource extraction on 245 million acres of BLM land; and new protections for important public lands and waters.
It was also Outdoor Alliance’s 10-year anniversary, and we enjoyed catching up with longtime friends and colleagues as we all gathered to celebrate this important milestone.
Backcountry skiers at the Capitol
Photo by Torch Pictures
Forest Service Hiring Freeze
As we met with lawmakers to advocate for increased funding for the Forest Service, the agency announced that, due to budget constraints, it will not be hiring any seasonal employees (except firefighters) in Fiscal Year 2025, which starts on October 1. Seasonal hires fill a variety of important roles in the Forest Service, including avalanche forecasters, snow (and river, climbing, and wilderness) rangers, trail crews, and science researchers. The effect of this hiring freeze will be felt acutely across the National Forest system.
Furthermore, any vacant permanent positions will only be filled by internal hires (thereby leaving gaps elsewhere in the system) and permanent seasonals (permanent employees who work on a seasonal basis) are prohibited from working longer than six months per year.
For good reason, the agency has stated that it will not try to “do more with less.” “We can’t get the same amount of work done with fewer employees,” said USFS Chief Randy Moore. “We’re going to do what we can with what we have. We’re not going to try to do everything that is expected of us with [fewer] people.”
We’ve already seen the Forest Service struggling to meet its obligations under the budget crisis Congress has created. For example, winter travel planning on the Inyo National Forest is paused until the Forest can hire a new planner.
This hiring freeze will have a significant and immediate impact on winter recreation. The Forest Service operates 14 Avalanche Centers, and many avalanche forecasters are seasonal employees. Without an exemption to the hiring freeze and flexibility for permanent seasonal forecasters to work beyond their designated season, avalanche centers will not be fully staffed or able to provide all the critical services the public relies on each winter. This isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a serious public safety concern.
The Forest Service is considering whether to allow exemptions to the FY25 hiring restrictions on seasonal staff, especially in areas of health and safety or where positions are supported by partner funding. Please join us in asking the Forest Service to exempt avalanche forecasters from the FY25 hiring restrictions.
Partnering for Winter Recreation
With no seasonal hires in FY25, Forest Service partners will be more important than ever this winter. For example, the Bridger-Teton National Forest’s long-standing Teton Pass Ambassador position will go unfilled in 2025, so Teton Backcountry Alliance’s volunteer Pass Ambassadors will fill a major gap. Teton Backcountry Alliance is considering raising funds to hire the Forest Service’s Ambassador as well.
In California, Megan, our California Stewardship Manager, will be heading up our Winter Ambassador program, serving her third winter on the Stanislaus National Forest.
We’re also working with the Colorado Mountain Club to support their highly successful Snow Ranger program. We are exploring opportunities to expand these programs to provide more support for winter recreation management on National Forest lands.
Wildlife Conservation Initiatives
Finally, as we start to think about the winter ahead, take a moment to visit www.winteringwildlife.org. Winter is the most challenging time of year for many wildlife species, and it’s up to the winter recreation community to be responsible in how—or if—we recreate in wildlife habitats.
Last year, Winter Wildlands Alliance worked with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and the Colorado Mountain Club to develop the Wintering Wildlife Conservation Initiative (WWCI), aimed at educating people about how to avoid or minimize impacts on wintering wildlife. The WWCI website hosts a variety of social media slides, printable flyers, and other tools anyone can use to share this important information.
On the Ground in California
An update from our California Stewardship Manager, Megan Fiske:
This year, we’ve seen several winter travel planning processes delayed because of the immediate and long-lasting effects of major wildfires in California. I’ve been thinking a lot about how these climate-driven mega-fires affect winter recreation. Click here to read our latest blog post on this important topic.
While we’re still waiting for the Plumas National Forest to finish their winter travel plan—delayed due to staff capacity being diverted to post-Dixie Fire rehabilitation—and for the Eldorado National Forest to complete their winter travel plan (also delayed due to Caldor Fire impacts), we’re excited to work with other forests on implementing their over-snow vehicle plans. I look forward to helping the Stanislaus install new winter signs we created in collaboration with Tread Lightly, and we hope to expand these educational efforts as we develop new winter recreation materials with the Lassen National Forest.
Reach out Megan at mfiske@winterwildlands.org with your questions.
From the Field in Colorado
An update from our Colorado Policy Coordinator, Brittany Leffel:
While we wait for snow to blanket the Colorado, we wanted to make sure you add Backcountry Snowsports Initiative Annual Hut Trip 2025 to your calendar!
If you are in Colorado or willing to travel to Colorado to talk policy and network with fellow backcountry skiing advocates, save the date for this trip! This event, which we co-host with Colorado Mountain Club and 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, will take place at the Fowler-Hilliard Hut, near Vail Pass, March 10-13, 2025. Staying at the hut is free, but reservations are first come first serve, so register today! If you have any questions, please reach out to our Colorado Policy Coordinator at: bleffel@winterwildlands.org.
