Land management agency impact stories...

[Irrelevant]

Be curious to see how many go back.

I bet they all, or almost all, do. It isn't exactly a career job, but a glorious job.

 

[Nick87]

I bet they all, or almost all, do. It isn't exactly a career job, but a glorious job.

I would wager the same, could be wrong.

 

[sapperJ24]

The USDA (including Forest service, NRCS) has recognized the court order and announced that probationary employees are reinstated. Employees were notified yesterday, however USDA does not have a plan yet for brining them back to work.



WASHINGTON, March 11, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the following statement today regarding the status of probationary employees:

“On Wednesday, March 5, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) issued a 45-day stay on the termination of U.S. Department of Agriculture probationary employees. By Wednesday, March 12, the Department will place all terminated probationary employees in pay status and provide each with back pay, from the date of termination. The Department will work quickly to develop a phased plan for return-to-duty, and while those plans materialize, all probationary employees will be paid.”

# # #

USDA Status Update on Probationary Employees

www.usda.gov

 

[Nick87]

The USDA (including Forest service, NRCS) has recognized the court order and announced that probationary employees are reinstated. Employees were notified yesterday, however USDA does not have a plan yet for brining them back to work.



WASHINGTON, March 11, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the following statement today regarding the status of probationary employees:

“On Wednesday, March 5, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) issued a 45-day stay on the termination of U.S. Department of Agriculture probationary employees. By Wednesday, March 12, the Department will place all terminated probationary employees in pay status and provide each with back pay, from the date of termination. The Department will work quickly to develop a phased plan for return-to-duty, and while those plans materialize, all probationary employees will be paid.”

# # #

USDA Status Update on Probationary Employees

www.usda.gov

USDA being FS employees? Not national parks correct?

 

[Forkyfinder]

Hope everyones happy with the efficiency of making employees unmotivated/disgruntled all while giving them a nice paid vacation. . .

 

[sapperJ24]

USDA being FS employees? Not national parks correct?

That is correct, no Dept of Interior (DOI) employees (Park Service, Fish and Wildlife, BLM) were included in this ruling. The MSPB order comes from an appeal that was brought by a USDA employee.

The order from last week can be found here (13 page pdf): MSPB Order

edit: updated link to order

 

[TheTone]

Some amazing motivation to get some work done when it could only last 45 days

 

[Nick87]

That is correct, no Dept of Interior (DOI) employees (Park Service, Fish and Wildlife, BLM) were included in this ruling. The MSPB order comes from an appeal that was brought by a USDA employee.

The order from last week can be found here (20 page pdf): stay request

You'd have to think the other agencies will shortly follow suit?

 

[Nameless Range]

I bet they all, or almost all, do. It isn't exactly a career job, but a glorious job.

I bet those hurting for money or those having an uncertain future do, but I was in a meeting last night on this topic and it sounds like this is likely to be temporary, and quite a few from the local NF are in the process of getting new jobs (applications/interviews) and will not be coming back - largely because this is just 45 day stay.

 

[Gulf of America]

I bet those hurting for money or those having an uncertain future do, but I was in a meeting last night on this topic and it sounds like this is likely to be temporary, and quite a few from the local NF are in the process of getting new jobs (applications/interviews) and will not be coming back - largely because this is just 45 day stay.

I wonder if the back pay is dependent on returning to work. That would be a pretty compelling reason to show up for a day and resign rather than just not come back.

 

[Bonasababy]

Just a 45 day stay but I assume terms requiring the government to justify the firings? Didn't read the order.

Also it's wise to keep in mind the SOP strategy of this administration. They honestly don't care if something they try doesn't work--as long as they can divert the blame to someone else.

So they won't accept a judges order--they will find a way to blame the judge.

 

[sapperJ24]

You'd have to think the other agencies will shortly follow suit?

I think there are other cases working for other agencies their way through the courts/appeals board, but I'm not certain.

 

[Nick87]

I think there are other cases working for other agencies their way through the courts/appeals board, but I'm not certain.

I didn't catch the 45 day part til just now.

 

[sapperJ24]

Just a 45 day stay but I assume terms requiring the government to justify the firings? Didn't read the order.

Pretty much. Seemed like MSPB agreed that you can't blanket fire probationers with a form letter citing performance issues.

From the order, "OSC submits that a 45-day stay will “minimize the adverse consequences of the apparent prohibited personnel practice” while it further investigates these allegations and the agency’s “systemic action to terminate probationary employees.” "

"The stay shall be in effect from March 5, 2025, through and including April 18, 2025."

 

[Nameless Range]

In a meeting last night I learned:

• The Helena/Lewis and Clark NF lost 38 people
• The idea that direct fire positions were not affected does not say much about firefighting capacity. For example, in 2021 which was one of the worst fire seasons nationally we’ve had, 27,500 federal employees fought fire across the country. Only 11,000 of those were primary firefighters.
• 75% of those people fired from the Helena/Lewis and Clark held red cards or some qual for fire work and either fought or supported fire
• In California, they are looking at closing 400 USFS campgrounds for lack of people to maintain them. Those decisions are coming for MT.
• 5 National Incident Teams have had to stand down due to firings. There are about 30 total nationwide, and were already in short supply.
• The feds provide about 1000 firefighters to the state of MT in a fire season. For comparison, the State provides about 180.
• LEOs may not have been fired, but staff that authorizes their work and supports them have been
• A rep from the backcountry horsemen said they will be “shittin busy”. A lot of our wilderness trails in particular will not be maintained.
• The Rocky Mountain District in Choteau lost 15 folks - a lot for a small town.
• And more..

There was also a talk about inefficiency in the USFS/BLM, and there’s a lot out there, and the fact is that some of the best folks to explain those inefficiencies and propose solutions are the agency people themselves and the collaboratives that work with them. The former is currently muzzled and the latter has been left out of the equation. For all the talk of “more local control”, what was done was the opposite – and by people who don’t don’t know a damn thing about digging a line, cruising a timber sale, pumping a vault toilet, or the mission and current use of our public lands. There's actual people in this state who know how the sausage is made in terms public safety and public land infrastructure - this wasn't a political meeting and I saw very conservative individuals speak up to the risks being forced on Montana - they are just folks who actually interact with the landscape. The only people who can fix all this is congress, and on this issue Montana's Congressional Representatives are thus far agents of fealty to DC.

 

[Gulf of America]

Federal Cuts Could Derail Conservation’s Historic Gains

Few of us can imagine any world besides our own after enjoying a lifetime in the most comfortable society ever created by hard work, sound science, free speech, and democratically elected leadership. Even those who grew up in the 1960s and early ’70s often forget how beginning hunters mostly...

www.themeateater.com

 

[Straight Arrow]

Montana's Congressional Representatives are thus far agents of fealty to DC.

Puppets of political portent!