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Forest Service warns of staffing, budget shortfalls; Snow College to pick up trail work
Summary
Forest Service staff told the committee that regional budget shortfalls and lost seasonal staff will leave next season with skeleton crews; Snow College will perform some trail work under grants and in-house funding while priorities shift to signage and campground maintenance.
Forest Service staff informed the committee that next season will see reduced capacity for trail and campground work because many seasonal employees and Youth Conservation Corps members are leaving; several positions will not be refilled.
"Our region is $22,000,000 in the red," said a Forest Service staff speaker (Unidentified Speaker S9), describing large regional budget pressures that will force the agency to prioritize time-sensitive signage and campground/toilet maintenance over broader trail projects.
Staff described operational changes: campground water systems will be winterized and some campgrounds closed, fewer workers will be available to collect fees and maintain facilities, and the agency expects a skeleton crew for many tasks. To mitigate the shortfall, the Forest Service plans to use Snow College students funded through grants and in-house resources for trail work next season on specific routes including Forks of the Huntington and Fish Creek.
Forest Service representatives also described an ongoing NEPA process to finalize the TMP, and they said resource leads are reviewing public comments with an aim to finalize the decision before year-end. That work was identified as the reason some agency field staff (Blake, Jaden) were unable to attend the meeting.
The committee discussed project needs that will still require outside grant funding, such as a proposed bridge at Little's Creek; staff said that bridge work will likely need an external grant because Forest Service funds are not available.
Committee members and staff also discussed a non-motorized RTP grant application to purchase stabilizing materials (six-by-sixes, roof bolts, hand tools) valued at roughly $20,000 in materials; staff emphasized that the grant requires a volunteer labor match and asked the Backcountry Horsemen and other groups for help to meet that match to avoid returning the grant.
No formal budget reallocations or votes were taken at the meeting; staff asked the committee for assistance with volunteer matches, permit coordination and prioritization.
