Unkept trails, cancelled programs. Washington state feels the impact of federal forest cuts

Dozens of people across Washington state who worked at national parks and forests have lost their jobs in recent weeks, as part of sweeping overhaul of the federal workforce by President Donald Trump. Those firings could cause ripple effects across state programs that benefit hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers.

In the heart of the Methow Valley, there's a large corral that's home to horses and mules. These are hardworking pack animals, standing at the ready to clear some of the most dangerous trails in the Okanogan National Forest.

"The stock program in the Methow is well over 50 years old,” said Ray Beaupre, who took these mules and horses deep into the woods, removing fallen trees and going places that trucks often can't reach.

He led pack trips and supported volunteer groups exploring the state’s wild beauty.

"We have 22 mules and horses on the Ranger District, as well as an almost 100-acre ranch,” Beaupre said.

After almost 10 years of working these animals to clear trails for hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers, Beaupre was fired in February, along with about eight other ranger district employees and three people in their recreation program. It isn't clear if Methow Valley will have enough staff to look after all of those horses and mules.

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"What's at stake here is losing these programs altogether,” Beaupre said. “That would be a really, really, really bad deal."

He was fired along with thousands of other National Parks and U.S. Forest Service employees across the country, part of a national purge of the federal government by the Trump administration.

Many people let go were new hires or probationary employees like Sam Peterson who was hired by the Park Service in December.

Peterson worked as a park ranger at the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area in Eastern Washington.

"Until February 14, it was about the best decision I've ever made,” he said.

Feb. 14 is when most people got a generic email that they'd been let go. Peterson was told, like others, that he was fired for his job performance. Others said they were told it was because of low productivity or not keeping up with their duties.

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But Peterson’s email surprised him. He had just been promoted to work on a new project at Lake Roosevelt to dedicate some of the space to the Fort Spokane Indian Boarding School to "bring some of the stories from the students who attended that school to light,” he said.

Fort Spokane is one of only two former boarding schools on National Park land. In his new role, Peterson, a former history teacher, planned to work with the Spokane Tribe, hire historians, and preserve old school logs.

"Because knowing more information about what is ultimately an active cultural genocide is better than it being forgotten,” he said.

He was going to oversee a $100,000 grant for the project. But since he got fired, it doesn't look like that boarding school dedication will happen.

"Every day, there's this twinge of, 'Why has this happened to me?' And it's so unfair, and I just wanted to do good work,” Peterson said.

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Closer to the west side of the state, Jordan Lewis is a landscape architect who specialized in hard to reach spots for the National Parks Service.

"Accessibility projects, trail projects to protect natural resources. I was working on some roadway projects for bicycle safety, some campground improvements,” he said, “probably a few more I can’t remember right now.”

Lewis was about to start work on Ross Lake Overlook on Highway 20, a popular spot in the Cascades, as well as a trail on San Juan Island.

“There is a trail project there that was meant to protect endangered marble butterfly habitat,” he said.

It's one of dozens of projects in Washington's national parks and forests that have been put on hold, since so many workers have been fired.

“Pretty much all these projects that, at least I was working on, are just being put on hold because there's no one there to implement them,” Lewis said.

A lot of forest divisions were already understaffed before Trump took office, fired workers said. The remaining employees just don't have the time or money to keep up with the work.

There's also concern about temporary workers not getting hired ahead of the busy summer wildfire season.

Beaupre, who worked with pack mules and horses, says the Methow Valley especially relies on these seasonal workers.

He said they were told last fall the Forest Service would not be hiring their usual summer workforce.

“A lot of these people have red cards, meaning they’re wildland firefighters, and they are also often on search and rescue and possess medical qualifications,” he said.

Many fired workers have applied for state unemployment. Some have joined lawsuits to get their jobs back. But with the seasonal hiring freeze and mass firings, Beaupre said the Forest Service has been “gutted.”

"Absolutely gut wrenching. I mean, it's a joke,” he said. “It's like firing the entire band and going out on the road or something.”