Gov. Polis: Colorado ‘less protected’ from wildfires after Trump administration cuts forest services employees

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said that the latest cuts by the Trump administration will make the state less protected from wildfires and could result in increased insurance costs for homeowners.

According to the governor's office, the Trump administration recently fired 3,400 U.S. Forest Service (USFS) employees, including at least 90 people in Colorado – a cut that represents about 10% of USFS staff.

The move is part of the administration's larger efforts to cut federal spending and dramatically shrink the federal workforce, a move the governor's office said is leading to "cuts to programs that protect health and safety with no replacement plans to deliver basic services."

In a release, Gov. Polis said the cut to the forest service could have "potentially devastating consequences," leading to more fire danger for the state. Though firefighters were spared from the cuts, the terminations included workers responsible for wildfire mitigation, range and timber management, habitat conservation, and outdoor recreation management.

“It’s reckless endangerment to Coloradans and could increase homeowners insurance costs further for the Trump Administration to take a hammer to those who help protect us against wildfires through watershed protection and forest management," Polis said. "It’s fine if they don’t like how the federal government works today, but risking our health and safety with no replacement is reckless."

Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper also took a stand against the mass layoffs, writing a letter urging the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reinstate the thousands of Forest Service employees fired.

According to the senators, USFS has struggled with chronic understaffing for years, with the agency's workforce sitting at nearly 30% less than it was three decades ago, despite the country's population growing by over 100 million during that time.

"We write with significant concerns about the decision to fire 3,400 US Forest Service employees ... and urge you to immediately reinstate them," the lawmakers wrote. "The USFS is already critically understaffed, and further employee cuts will have real and immediate consequences for Colorado’s economy, rural communities, and wildfire resilience."