Action Alert: Oppose Federal Land Manager Staffing Cuts
Our Federal partners, including the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service, are under attack. Please use your voice to help us restore and protect natural resources staffing on public lands in California.
Pictured Above: Robert Chavez, Trabuco Ranger District Division Chief with Robert Anderson, from left, William Hurst, and Garrett Warden, outside the Silverado Fire Station. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The recent federal workforce reductions to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the National Park Service (NPS) pose a significant threat to the upkeep and accessibility of our cherished trails and public lands. At this writing, staffing cuts have led to the termination of approximately 5000 staff from the three agencies. Some national forests have lost as much as 30% of their workforce, and some districts have lost their entire recreation and trail staffing. These positions are essential to maintaining and building new trails, managing campgrounds, assisting with search and rescue, monitoring wildlife, restoring landscapes, and clearing hazardous fuels to reduce wildfire risk. These cuts have directly affected the individuals that our member organizations work with every day to organize volunteer trail work efforts, events, and project planning.
IMPACT ON THE GROUND
These drastic cuts have also directly affected our member organizations and the projects they are working on with our land manager partners. For example, the much-anticipated Basin Wide Trail Analysis Project up in the Lake Tahoe area has been halted indefinitely, meaning 45 miles of new trail won’t be built. The loss of on-the-ground staffing means it will be even harder to partner with federal agencies, as federal staffing must authorize all 3rd-party work on public lands, and there is little to no support to authorize the necessary agreements.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
The California Mountain Biking Coalition (CAMTB) is actively addressing these challenges by engaging with policymakers to advocate for the restoration of critical funding and staffing. Our efforts include preparing letters to budget subcommittee members and meeting with legislative leadership to emphasize the importance of maintaining and advancing our trail systems.
We urge all mountain biking enthusiasts and outdoor recreation supporters to join us in this crucial advocacy. Here’s how you can help:
- CONTACT Your Representatives. Contact your federal and state lawmakers to express your concern about the impact of these workforce cuts on public lands and recreational trails. Phone calls are even more effective than emails, so consider taking 10 minutes to pick up the phone
- DONATE to CAMTB. Make a one-time or recurring gift and help us to continue this work with our 38-member stewardship organizations, who combined represent over 300,000 mountain bikers throughout California.
- SUPPORT Future Advocacy Efforts: Stay informed about our ongoing efforts by subscribing to our newsletter, following us on Instagram and X, and participating in future CAMTB Action Alerts. Join your local trail organization. Your voice amplifies our collective impact.
Together, we can advocate for the resources necessary to keep our trails open, safe, and enjoyable for all. Your involvement is vital to the future of mountain biking in California.
Speak up today! It only takes 2 minutes via our online platform.
