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Teton County asks congressional delegation for clarity on federal hiring freeze and seasonal staffing
Summary
The county commission unanimously approved three letters to Wyoming's congressional delegation asking for details about the federal hiring freeze’s effect on seasonal staff for federal land management agencies and the plan for 2025 staffing levels, citing public safety, wildfire response and the local tourism-driven economy.
The Teton County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved Feb. 18 a set of three identical letters to Wyoming’s U.S. senators and the U.S. representative requesting information and clarity about a federal hiring freeze and its likely effects on seasonal employees for federal land management agencies.
Commissioners said their core concern is uncertainty: the county’s emergency response, visitor services and local economy depend on seasonal federal workers in Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Bridger‑Teton National Forest and the National Elk Refuge. The board asked its congressional delegation to request from the administration the administration’s plan for 2025 staffing, levels of service, resource stewardship and visitor engagement for next season.
The commission discussed edits during the meeting. Commissioners and staff agreed to: - Add direct questions asking what the administration’s plan is and how staffing levels will be determined. - Call out impacts to recreation and public safety, including wildland firefighting capacity. - Reference both the Interior and Agriculture secretaries in the distribution list.
Commissioner Karlman moved to approve mailing the letters to Senator John Barrasso, Senator Cynthia Lummis and Representative Harriet Hageman; Commissioner Gardner seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Why the county asked: Commissioners cited the county’s experience during the 2024 North Fork Fire and the prospect of a large increase in summer visitation. Planning and budget work in the coming months depends on knowing what federal partners can be expected to provide for trail maintenance, campgrounds, staffing at trailheads and wildfire response, the commissioners said. Commissioner Probst and others urged additional follow‑up letters to ask about notices of termination that appeared in local reporting for some year‑round federal employees; commissioners directed staff to return with another letter that would inquire further about the termination of year‑round federal staff.
Ending: The three letters will be sent to the named members of Congress and copied to the Cabinet officials named in the letters. Commissioners said they expect further correspondence as the federal situation develops.
