Hiring freeze, cuts at Forest Service and BLM limit seasonal rec staffing

BLM and Forest Service representatives told the Emery County travel-and-trails committee that federal staffing reductions and a hiring freeze will constrain recreation operations this season.

Jayden, who provided the BLM office update, said the agency had not yet lost employees but faces a hiring freeze that prevents filling vacant positions: “However, we do have the hiring freeze, which is impacting us pretty heavily,” Jayden said. The BLM expects fewer return seasonal staff and multiple vacant maintenance positions this season, which will likely require more volunteer support for river and field programs.

A Forest Service representative described deeper personnel losses on the Manti‑La Sal. “We've lost, I think, 14 people on the Manti LaSalle just in recreation,” the representative said, adding the agency is operating with a skeleton crew and cannot hire Youth Conservation Corps crews in some cases. The representative estimated overall cuts of “31 or 32” positions (not confirmed) and said that limitations will affect planned trail work and campground projects.

Committee members discussed contingency plans, including greater volunteer recruitment, reliance on partner crews from Snow College and state trail crews, and applying for grants to cover equipment needs. Several members requested staff identify critical trail segments that need grader access or pre-field fixes ahead of county or BLM grading to maximize limited heavy-equipment time.

The committee asked staff to follow up with a list of priority projects that cannot be completed without outside equipment or hired crews.