IMPENDING USFS CUTS THREATEN MONO COUNTY
Following Elon Musk’s initial cuts to federal staff through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), local government officials are bracing for more cuts to forest management programs in Mono County.
On February 26, federal officials put out a memo directing agencies to submit plans for a Reduction in Force (RIF) by March 13 to eliminate a number of federal positions, according to an AP news report. This memo came after about 2,000 probationary employees were terminated from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
“We don’t know exactly what this is going to look like right now, but we can all be very, very sure that more employees will get laid off both here in the National Forest and in the Park Service,” said Lawson Reif, Mammoth Lakes Outdoor Recreation Manager.
His department, the Office of Outdoor Recreation, is looking at supporting some of those federal workers who lost their positions and hiring them internally as Town employees.
“We asked [the Forest Service] to write out what exactly they are looking for in this position,” he said. “I can assure all of you this will not just be a position that we hire and let run willingly on the landscape – we really want to make sure that this work is focused.”
Town staff expect to have the position outlined before Mammoth Town Council at the next (March 19) meeting, Mammoth Town Manager Rob Patterson said.
In the meantime, the New York Times reported Wednesday morning that almost 4,000 campsites across California’s National Forests could close for part or all of the summer season.
The data came from a spreadsheet shared internally within the USFS. The report stated that Kennedy Meadows, a campground with 37 sites near the Mount Whitney trail, could close for the season.
For the time being, Reif has not heard that Kennedy Meadows will close, but said his office was actively pursuing answers. He also said, as of a meeting Monday, that Deadman Campground, Glass Creek Campground, Big Springs Campground and Hartley Springs Campground are still expected to open.
The Sheet reached out to Lisa Cox, Inyo National Forest Public Affairs Officer, about the cuts, and received the following response:
“Secretary Rollins fully supports the President’s directive to improve government, eliminate inefficiencies and strengthen USDA’s many services to the American people. We have a solemn responsibility to be good stewards of the American people’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars and to ensure that every dollar spent goes to serve the people, not the bureaucracy. […] It’s unfortunate that the Biden administration hired thousands of people with no plan in place to pay them long term. Secretary Rollins is committed to preserving essential safety positions and will ensure that critical services remain uninterrupted.”
The statement came directly from the USFS press office, atypical from Cox’s usual responses – she usually writes more specific responses herself and clears them with the federal office.
“This is a typical procedure for media requests after a new administration takes over, which allows more control from the administration over messaging in alignment with new policies,” she said of the direct response.
The Mono County Board of Supervisors formally expressed its concernsabout the local USFS cuts in a letter to key federal and state representatives.
“Mono County is home to vast tracts of public land, including the Humboldt-Toiyabe and Inyo National Forests, which serve as critical recreational and economic assets for both residents and visitors,” the letter states. “Unfortunately, due to staff reductions within the USFS, we are witnessing a rapid deterioration in the oversight and management of these lands.”
The letter was targeted at U.S. Representative Kevin Kiley, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, Adam Schiff, State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, and State Representative David Tangipa.
Letters are one way for the County to fight back against the cuts, said Lynda Salcido, County Board Supervisor Chair. She is worried about cuts to other programs, like Medicaid and the SNAP program.
Mono County relies on an estimated total $17.5 million annually in federal funds, according to a report drawn up by Sandra Moberly, Mono County Administrator. Those funding sources include the Substance Use Block Grant, American Rescue Plan Act, Medi-Cal, and the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program.
“Mono County benefits significantly from federal funding across various departments and programs,” she wrote in the report. Federal dollars support a range of initiatives, from housing and behavioral health services to emergency management and public works.”
