Statement

In the last two decades, the Methow Valley has experienced large, catastrophic wildfires so often it is hard to remember them all- Tripod, Carlton Complex, Cedar Creek, Diamond Creek, Cub II, and Crescent Mountain. Many residents have lost their homes to these unprecedented fires. Businesses have been devastated during the peak summer tourist season due to fires and smoke. Three local firefighters lost their lives in the Twisp River Fire of 2015.

Now, we are experiencing another unprecedented but preventable crisis. In a misguided attempt to reduce government spending, the current administration has forced our local District Ranger and his key subordinates to lay off a significant and important part of their workforce, including those that have “red cards”, which qualify them to fight forest fires when called upon. Summer hires of seasonal workers have been curtailed on top of these layoffs. The administration has mandated further layoffs of 20% of the remaining permanent employees, coming within the next couple months.

In a ProPublica article by Mark Olaide dated April 7, 2025, Frank Beum, a board member of the National Association of Forest Service Retirees said, “President Trump’s executive orders shrinking the federal workforce make a notable exception for public safety staff, including those who fight wildland fires. Red-card carrying employees are the “backbone” of the firefighting force, and their loss will have a significant impact. There are not enough primary firefighters to do the full job that needs to be done when we have a high fire season.”

These layoffs of our local National Forest employees will directly affect our community’s ability to fight fires and keep our citizens safe. The US Forest Service has a tremendous amount of expertise and experience fighting fires. This ability will be permanently diminished if these layoffs are allowed to stand. Lives are at stake. The potential for loss of property is staggering.

We ask our local elected officials, the Town Council of Twisp and its Mayor, to sign the resolution below, to be sent to our elected representative in Washington, DC, Dan Newhouse, and to Washington State Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray.

Resolution

A RESOLUTION OPPOSING WHOLESALE CUTS TO THE US FOREST SERVICE AND URGING SWIFT ACTION TO REHIRE DISPLACED WORKERS AND HALT ANY FURTHER LAYOFFS, IN RECOGNITION OF THE SEVERE NEGATIVE IMPACTS THESE LAYOFFS WILL HAVE ON THE TOWN OF TWISP AND ITS RESIDENTS.

WHEREAS, the Town of Twisp is situated in close proximity to dense stands of timber up Alder Creek and on McClure Mountain, much like Paradise, CA and Lytton, BC (Paradise/Camp fire Nov. 2018, 85 lives lost, 11,000 homes lost—Lytton, June 2021, 520 buildings burned, 2 lives lost).

WHEREAS, the Town of Twisp is in an extremely dangerous fire zone as defined by the State DNR, the Okanogan Conservation District, and the US Forest Service. Twisp is ranked 11th in the state as being exposed to the risk of wildland fire.

WHEREAS, large wildfires in the Methow Valley are inextricably tied to economic loss for many
businesses because of highway closures, trail closures, and canceled visitation because of hazardous or dangerous air quality caused by wildfires.

WHEREAS, the severe reductions in the workforce will hinder the ability of the Forest Service to fight forest fires, thereby endangering the health, safety, and economic vitality of our community.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Council of Twisp, WA and its Mayor : The citizens of Twisp, through their elected council members and Mayor , ask that all local Forest Service employees who lost their jobs be immediately hired back, and in any future efficiency efforts, the current administration actively consults with Federal, State, and Local agency partners to determine the most effective levels of government employees on the Methow Valley Ranger District to insure community safety in the face of wildfire, and to allow the Forest Service to fulfill its Congressionally mandated missions.