DOGE Abruptly Cut These National Park And Forest Service Workers' Jobs. Here's How It'll Impact You.

Fired federal workers share their worries about what could happen next.

For the past seven years, Jaelle Downs cleaned up messes. As a forestry technician and wilderness ranger for Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington state, Downs picked up trash that campers left behind and buried human waste. Downs camped alongside visitors and taught them “Leave No Trace” principles to minimize human impact on ecosystems. She also was a first responder for visitors experiencing medical episodes.

“We’re not just there to tell people what to do. We’re also there to assist them,” Downs said.

But now, Downs’ job is one of an estimated 3,400 terminated Forest Service positions. She will not be there if someone needs help.

Last month, the Trump Administration and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) mass-fired many National Park Service employees and U.S. Forest Service staff. In its push to slash the federal workforce, the Trump administration claims these firings were necessary to curb unnecessary government spending.

The cuts targeted newly-hired and promoted workers who were in probationary periods. Termination letters like the one Downs received stated that workers were underperforming and “no longer in the public interest.”