By FireRescue1 Staff
WASHINGTON — U.S. Forest Service officials spoke out about their concern over staffing seasonal firefighters following President Trump’s hiring freeze of civilian employees.
The order, which will be placed into effect Jan. 22, may bar the Forest Service from hiring seasonal or part-time firefighters, a workforce they heavily rely on, reported the Ravalli Republic.
Officials said they are still trying to get a hold of the order and are waiting for more clarification. National Federation of Federal Employees Council President Melissa Baumann said he service hired 11,000 seasonal workers, with at least 6,200 of them being firefighters, in 2015.
Many of the fire-related positions involve logging sale analysts, trail maintenance workers and forest rangers.
The order also prohibits government agencies from engaging in private contracts, something the service also frequently relies on.