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Residents urge city to press state, federal leaders after local federal staffing cuts hit fire and agriculture services
Summary
Residents at the East Wenatchee City Council meeting described recent federal probationary-employee terminations and hiring freezes that they say are reducing capacity at local wildland fire crews and agricultural research facilities, and asked the council to request action from the governor and congressional delegation.
Two longtime local natural-resources professionals urged the East Wenatchee City Council on March 4 to ask the governor and members of the congressional delegation to reverse recent federal probationary-employee terminations and free frozen appropriated funds.
Russ Truman, a resident who retired as a Forest Service fire management officer, said recent personnel losses have hit the Wenatchee National Forest and the local Bureau of Land Management office and have left some wildland firefighting units unable to hire seasonal staff this spring. "I know I asked to know what you think about this topic and commit to writing a letter," Truman said, asking the council to press state and federal leaders for four actions, including rehiring probationary staff and releasing already-appropriated funds so contractors and farmers can be paid.
Rick Edwards, another East Wenatchee resident with decades of natural-resources experience, backed Truman and described personnel reductions at the USDA Agricultural Research Service laboratory that partners with Washington State University. Edwards said the ARS West building staffing dropped from about 25 to 14 and warned that research losses could harm fruit and tree-disease work relied on by area growers.
Truman and Edwards described specific local effects they said were already evident: shortages that have delayed hiring of summer firefighting crews, trouble paying contractors under conservation agreements, and gaps in research that could limit future responses to pests and crop disease. Truman cited a recent 61-acre fire at Bridal as an example of the kind of event that could strain reduced firefighting capacity.
Council members listened as the two residents asked the city to write to state and federal officials and asked that the item be put on a future agenda for further discussion. The council did not take formal action at the March 4 meeting.
The residents’ request covered four specific asks: (1) urge the congressional delegation to reinstate probationary employees; (2) require consultation with agencies before future reductions in force; (3) expedite hiring of wildland firefighters needed for the summer; and (4) free appropriated funds so agencies such as NRCS can pay contractors and farmers and buy equipment for the upcoming fire season.
The council did not make a commitment on the record to draft the requested letters at the meeting; Truman asked that if the council could not do it immediately the topic be scheduled for discussion next week so members could ask questions and decide on a course of action.
