Popular Washington rec areas hit with closures, unsafe conditions after USFS workers fired

FRANKLIN FALLS — The sign says "Franklin Falls Sno-Park Temporarily Closed - Due to Unsafe Conditions." Found in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, the message is mounted at the road that leads to the trailheads for Franklin Falls and Denny Creek.

A second sign, also off the Denny Creek exit on I-90 reads, "Road Closed" and "No access to Franklin Falls or Denny Creek."

These closures come after dozens of local forest service employees were fired following President Donald Trump's announcement of a sweeping federal workforce cut.

Some of these workers posted about their firings on social media. One woman, who identified herself as a U.S. Forest Service worker, posted to Facebook that her termination notice allegedly stated, in part, "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."

During a phone interview, Congresswoman Kim Schrier said she is aware of 260 U.S. Forest Service workers who were terminated between Washington and Oregon, and that the firings are part of the first of three potential rounds of cuts.

Schrier said the decision to cut the U.S. Forest Service workforce by 3,400 is "irresponsible" and "dangerous." She added the cuts pose a dangerous threat to the state's wildfire season - calling it both shameful and dangerous.

“Already, popular areas like the Denny Creek Trailhead, which was averaging over 1,000 guests per day on the weekend, have had to close down due to staffing shortages. This is just the beginning, as staffing shortages will cause unsafe conditions in popular recreation areas and leave the Eighth District especially vulnerable during fire season," Schrier said.

The Washington Trail Association (WTA) is stunned by the news and currently scrambling to determine how it can help in the short term and long term.

"It's devastating to see all of this expertise and talent being lost," said Chief Program Officer Kindra Ramos. "On a personal note, the folks that are being fired like these aren't nameless individuals. These are good, talented people that Washington Trails Association has worked with for years, who help maintain our trails, our campgrounds, our wilderness areas."

Ramos said last year WTA logged about 70,000 hours of trail work on Forest Service lands.

"What we have already seen the staff that WTA relies on to coordinate volunteer trail work is no longer available. The support we need to take tools into backcountry has disappeared. we are already seeing the impact and that's going to show up on trails," Ramos said.

There are more than 9,000 trails that the U.S. Forest Service manages in Washington state alone. An unanswered question for WTA and people who use the backcountry is how will the trails remain accessible and safe.

KOMO News has reached out repeatedly to the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S.D.A. for a response, but so far has received no statement other than an email that they will get back to us.

WTA said while it will work to clear and maintain trails that it can in the short-term, it is also working on long-term solutions - mainly at the federal level to urge Congress to reverse the hiring decision under the Trump Administration to make sure the Forest Service has the staffing and funds it needs to support recreational infrastructure in Washington and other states.

For backcountry enthusiasts, she offered this advice:

"Write your trip reports, tread lightly in the spaces you're going, and contact your member of Congress and let them know that this is an issue that's really important."