This year, federal cuts to staff and funding of departments have generated debate over government efficiency and the survival of federal programs, however, the solution isn’t as clear-cut as many like to believe.
While cutting probationary employees might seem like a good idea to reduce spending, the reality is much less optimistic.
For example, one anonymous forest service employee said, “The department realized it’s potentially a lot of the probationary employees that were lower ranking. Like field-going timber staff and fire positions that they have to have.”
At the Forest Service, cuts haven’t just affected current staff, they’ve also hampered the service’s ability to hire new workers and fill vacant positions.
“People and money are just going down; they’re not hiring new workers and they’re not hiring when people retire.”
By not filling vacant positions, the federal government risks programs being far less effective than their current state with concerns about trail construction and clearing, fire management, and even outhouses at trailheads.
That doesn’t mean there’s no room for better efficiency in government, however. “I do think it could shrink at the top. I think a lot of us feel this bureaucracy has gotten top-heavy and that it is important to evaluate and do methodically, not like this.”
These cuts reach beyond the Forest Service.
“There’s the idea that environmental justice doesn’t matter. The fact is Delta and Mesa County have a high percentage of qualifying federal poverty line people [and] they qualified for a lot of programs and get lots of funds; then there’s the federal funding freeze.”
“We’re talking at least $100 million in Delta and Mesa county just for the programs I’m aware of.”
Already, the Western Slope has lost 17 water projects, ranging from dam removal to drought resiliency and mitigation programs.
“There’s also all sorts of water infrastructure projects all across the county that were awarded grants at the end of the last administration, but then they were paused and maybe they’ll come back later but those are road building, damn repairs, piping water to subsidize timber harvest.”
It’s also hard to know if, or when, the federal money will come back, making private contractors’ jobs harder.
“Maybe the [money] will come back but there’s no indication to count on that, and no one’s gonna put out contracts this year for jobs; the contracts won’t be made.”
