Avalanche forecasters in our region are breathing a sigh of relief after being exempted from a federal hiring freeze.
Earlier this fall, the U.S. Forest Service decided to pause hiring seasonal workers due to a budget shortfall. That included a lot of avalanche forecasters — the people that dig around in snowpacks to assess safety.
At the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center in Jackson, Wyoming, at least two forecasters’ jobs were on the line, according to the Winter Wildlands Alliance’s Hilary Eisen.
“That was going to translate to either a reduced forecast coverage area [or] fewer forecasting days,” Eisen said. “If something like that gives, then that has an immediate public safety impact.”
But Eisen said her organization and more than 40 other stakeholders pushed for exemptions. And, now, avalanche centers around the Mountain West and country are close to fully staffed.
However, it’s not a long-term fix. Eisen still considers it the most uncertain time in four decades.
“There's a lot of work to be done still on not just getting exemptions to the hiring freeze, but addressing the underlying issue of the hiring freeze,” she said.
Congress has underfunded the Forest Service for decades, according to Eisen. She said avalanche centers in the country’s seven Forest Service regions have a total budget of $2.5 million.
Without more money, she said it’s impossible to launch new avalanche centers in places in need, such as Eastern Idaho, or expand forecasting areas. She also said that if forecasters retire, they may not be replaced.
As more people flock to the outdoors and more remote areas, Eisen said she wants to see the federal government prioritize the Forest Service and appropriate $70 million next fiscal year for its recreation, heritage and wilderness program, which includes avalanche centers.
Congress has yet to pass a budget for the 2025 fiscal year and has until Dec. 20 to avert a government shutdown.
Alongside avalanche forecasters, the agency also exempted temporary firefighters from the hiring freeze. But other kinds of seasonal workers haven’t been as lucky, including the people that maintain trails and clean campground bathrooms.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
