For Chelsea Kollmar, it was a dream job — a dream that came to a nightmarish ending with an email on Friday. This was to be Kollmar’s ninth summer working for the U.S. Forest Service, something she hoped to turn into a full-time career. The email announcing she had been fired stated, “The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest.” “That’s garbage,” Kollmar said flatly. “We all work very hard. It’s a lot of work.” … About 4,400 U.S. Park and Forest Service workers will soon be without jobs. While firefighters will not be impacted by the job cuts, those who assist them will be. Those are the people who cut down dangerous trees, clear trails and provide support.
Related content:
- Bozeman Daily Chronicle: ‘There is no one left’: Custer Gallatin National Forest workers reeling from job losses
- The Guardian: US Forest Service and National Park Service to fire thousands of workers
- The New York Times: Forest Service Layoffs and Frozen Funds Increase the Risk From Wildfires [a paid subscription is required to read this article]