919-996-5800 Joel Bateman Park Managerjoel.bateman@raleighnc.gov Get DirectionsKnow Before You Go For more information about access at the park please call the 919-996-5800 The Welcome Center at Forest Ridge has a selection of loaner equipment available for use! All loaner equipment is available on a first-come, first-served basis. A RecLink account is required to check out items. Learn how to create an account online. Learn more about the explorer backpack program. Fishing is allowed during park hours. Check out our loaner fishing equipment free of charge. A RecLink account is required to check out items. Learn how to create an account online. Plan for your trip; bank fishing areas are subject to environmental conditions and bait is not available at the park office Call the park office for up-to-date conditions at 919-996-5800 our playgrounds feature adventure elements for ages 5–12 Multi-element design engages both younger and older children View other playground locations. It was installed in the winter of 2017 and has undergone numerous transformations to address stormwater issues and to provide more sustainable habitats and food for wildlife  There is an emphasis on establishing NC native plants plants that can withstand deer browsing and maintenance that supports a variety of food sources and habitat year-round  Contact the Forest Ridge Park office to learn more about our maintenance strategies or how you can incorporate wildlife-positive landscapes in your own yard Learn more about the volunteer program Both paved and unpaved trails are available Single-track trails may close because of adverse weather and environmental conditions Please view the trail status or contact the park office for trail conditions View other trail opportunities with the City of Raleigh Our seasonal disc golf course is currently closed Disc Golf Course Map Enjoy the seasonal 18-hole disc golf course during regular park hours from Oct The first tee box is located just south of the main parking lot Please follow all course guidelines to ensure the enjoyment and sustainability of the course Loaner discs are available at the park office Why does the course close seasonally? Closing the course allows time for the trees and plants to repair and grow without sustaining impacts from discs and foot traffic This practice helps maintain a healthy and sustainable course and ecosystem Thank you for assisting us in keeping this course sustainable Request your rental online using RecLink Take note: Requests will be subject to staff approval payment will be required to confirm the reservation Your reservation is not finalized until you receive confirmation of your payment Park gates will close promptly at the closing time listed below. Please plan your visit accordingly This feedback widget is not intended for customer service issues This feedback is reviewed monthly to help us improve our site. For immediate customer service please refer to our staff directory 2025 at 7:20 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The investigation is ongoing IL — A body was found in the water Saturday at the Burlington Park Forest Preserve in Naperville The Naperville Police Department told Patch that the body was recovered Saturday afternoon According to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Forest Preserve District of DuPage County officers were dispatched to Burlington Park Forest Preserve in Naperville for a death investigation The individual's identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin "There is currently no known threat to the public," a representative of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County said Naperville Police added that the investigation was turned over to the DuPage County Forest Preserve District Police Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. FELCH TOWNSHIP — Both the Forest Park boys and girls track teams earned team championships in the North Dickinson Booster Club Invitational Wednesday in Felch Township The Trojan boys won six events and totaled 122 points on the day while Florence-Niagara finished third with 99 Wilson Hannahville-Nah Tah Wahsh (15) and Republic-Michigamme (6) rounded out the field The Lady Trojans posted three victories and eight runner-up finishes to record 131.75 points Bark River-Harris was next up with 112.75 and the host Nordics took third at 96.75 Wilson Hannahville-Nah Tah Wahsh (3) filled out the field sophomore Vic Giuliani paced the Trojans by winning two events Izaiah Tarter was victorious in the 3,200 (11 minutes Gabe Quevedo topped the field in the pole vault (9-6) and the 3,200-relay team of Tarter William Hoffman and Max Mainville (9:29.44) posted a victory as well Both Florence-Niagara and North Central recorded two event wins Truth Settner won the 400 (55.96) and Christian Anderson crossed first in the 800 (2:12.20) Lane Gorzinski (25.29 in the 200) and Spencer Willa (39-5.5 in the shot put) scored wins for the Jets Florence-Niagara won the 800 relay (Luke Deterville Cameron Schiefelbein and Ely Marefke in 1:46.43)) and the 1,600 relay (Anderson Trenton Kramer topped the Nordic boys with runner-up finishes in the high jump and the long jump while Miles Lindholm took second in the 110 hurdles FP junior Elsie Williams led her team with victories in the 200 (28.7) and the long jump (14-8) while Vienna Price added a win in the 1,600 (6:12.19) Forest Park’s depth proved to be the key Junior Ava Fischer registered three individual runner-up finishes (both hurdles Price (800) and Lily Sarder (long jump) placed second as well The Lady Trojans also received second-place results from their 800-relay team (Sarder Audrey Williams) and their 3,200 relay team of Lily Curnow Florence-Niagara senior Kamdan Johnson brought home victories in the 100 hurdles (16.2) and the 300 hurdles (49.53) North Dickinson received wins from Aunika Lindholm (13:37.4 in the 3,200) and Aubrey Applekamp (5-0 in the high jump) The Nordics also posted a triumph in the 3,200 relay (11:26.4) with team members Lindholm Natalie Willa (29-11.75 in the shot put) and Mayce Murray (4-2 in the high jump) topped the North Central girls Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Michigan | https://www.ironmountaindailynews.com | 215 E Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application January 3rd 2025 at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.  Frank & Helen Rock (Thompson) and husband James Dinnocenzo.  Jean was a resident of Park Forest since 1952 and taught 2nd Grade at St Mary Catholic School in Park Forest for 29 years She was an avid reader and Chicago Blackhawks fan.  Family will receive friends at Kurtz Memorial Chapel 2025 from 9:00 AM until time of prayers at 11:00 AM and then to St IL 60466 for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 AM Interment will be private at a later date at Calvary Cemetery Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Shriners Children’s Hospital Chicago would be greatly appreciated.  Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Contact: Chris Pedretti, DNR Business Operations Section SupervisorChristopher.Pedretti@wisconsin.gov or 608-572-5338 – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting artwork entries from high school students for the 2026 12-month Wisconsin state park and forest vehicle admission pass The annual DNR-sponsored design contest is open to all high school-age students in Wisconsin who attend public private and parochial schools or are homeschooled Artwork entries should focus on outdoor recreation "With the transition to a 12-month admission pass format we’re excited to see what inspiration and creativity is generated by high schoolers across the state This is a great opportunity for students to blend their artistic passion and interest in our natural resources," said Steve Schmelzer Parks and Recreation Management Bureau director "We are grateful for all of the students who submit artwork and it’s never an easy choice to pick just one design." The vehicle admission passes provide access to more than 60 state park forest and recreation area properties across Wisconsin All motor vehicles entering state parks and recreation areas must have a vehicle admission pass Some state forest and trail parking areas also require a pass Materials for the 2026 sticker design contest are now available and students can submit entries through April 30 Rules, submission guidelines, tips for a winning design and past sticker design winners are available on the DNR’s State Park Pass Design Contest webpage © Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Site requirements | Accessibility | Legal | Privacy | Employee resources The eastern forests that are iconic to the national park experience including those of cultural and historical parks and diseases threaten to degrade the forested landscapes and scenic vistas cherished by millions of park visitors each year the Resilient Forests Initiative (RFI) fosters collaboration between the National Park Service and other partners to enhance the robustness and adaptability of park forests now and into the future The RFI aims to reverse forest regeneration failures across eastern national parks through active management Stewardship approaches include removing invasive plants and protecting natural native regeneration and plantings from deer populations as well as their ecological and cultural value and risk of forest loss 39 national parks from Virginia to Maine were selected to participate in the Resilient Forests Initiative Strategically targeting invasive plants helps protect parks' highest-priority natural resources A winning strategy to combat invasive plants becomes a potent tool for restoring special places What’s worked to support forest regeneration in eastern national parks Many park forests don’t have enough tree regeneration to replace canopy trees as they fall or die Enhancing tree regeneration and forest complexity protects the future forest Forests in NPS Region 1 are complex and important Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go A body discovered Saturday at Burlington Park Forest Preserve in Naperville was identified on Monday as a Naperville resident A final cause of death of the 44-year-old male is pending determination by the DuPage County coroner’s office Preliminary findings from the investigation indicate foul play was not a contributing factor Forest Preserve District of DuPage County police and the Naperville Police Department responded to a call for a death investigation after a body was found floating in the West Branch DuPage River Officials said there is no threat to public safety Corrections & clarifications: This story has been updated to include Colorado Department of Labor and Employment estimates of the number of federal employees to clarify which employees are tracked by the Office of Personnel Management and to correct the spelling of Arapaho National Forest and Pawnee National Grassland With the termination of more than 6,000 federal employees who help manage public lands and fish and wildlife activities two grasslands and millions of acres of public land Many federal employees in the National Park Service Fish and Wildlife Service learned last week they were being fired part of President Donald Trump's promise to cut down on bureaucracy by reducing the federal workforce The push is being led by the Department of Government Efficiency The cuts were focused on probationary employees Some people who were terminated posted about their firings on social media and some were interviewed by USA TODAY At least 2,300 workers in the Department of Interior were terminated, including 800 in the Bureau of Land Management and about 1,000 in the National Park Service, USA TODAY reported Forest Service cuts do not include firefighters The National Park Service cuts won't affect 5,000 seasonal workers, Reuters reported. In Colorado, there were about 57,000 federal employees, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. Office of Personnel Management tracks employees in executive branch agencies There are about 5,000 federal employees that work in agencies that manage public lands and wildlife Here's how the numbers break down for four different branches according to the Personnel Management data: Fish and wildlife (part of Department of Interior): 410BLM (part of Interior): 940National Park Service (part of Interior): 1,372U.S Forest Service (part of Department of Agriculture): 2,135The government hasn't said how many Colorado jobs were cut Forest Service workforce cuts and 5% of the National Park Service cuts occurred in Colorado that would amount to about 280 employees terminated between just those two agencies with more cuts on top of that within BLM and Fish and Wildlife More than one-third of Colorado is estimated to be federally owned. It has 8 million acres of BLM land and 14 million acres of national forest land with 11 national forests and two grasslands Its national parks are Rocky Mountain National Park Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Mesa Verde National Park and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park There are also several national monuments and historic sites, including Colorado National Monument Dinosaur National Monument and Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Close to the Fort Collins-Loveland area are Rocky Mountain National Park, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, and Pawnee National Grassland. Also notable, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in Larimer County five members of Colorado's delegation to Congress called on the Department of Agriculture to reinstate the fired forest service workers saying the agency is already critically understaffed and the cuts would affect Colorado's economy The senators and representatives who signed on to a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins were Sens Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Reps They said some of the employees terminated are responsible for wildfire mitigation habitat conservation and outdoor recreation management The lawmakers said they have long heard reports of chronic understaffing and the agency is 30% smaller than it was 30 years ago "This significant reduction in staff has occurred even as the country’s population grew by over 100 million people and wildfire risk increased drastically," the letter said Harrison Fields, a special assistant to the president, told USA TODAY that Trump "returned to Washington with a mandate from the American people to bring about unprecedented change in our federal government to uproot waste "This isn’t easy to do in a broken system entrenched in bureaucracy and bloat USA TODAY reporters contributed information about the number of layoffs and the Trump administration's response to this story Frankfort (Photo provided by Will County Sheriff's Office) A Frankfort man has been arrested on an indecent solicitation of a child charge following a sting operation by Predator Poachers Southeast Texas At 2:10 a.m. Friday, Michael Reda, 35, was taken to the Will County jail on a charge of traveling to meet a child and indecent solicitation of a child The charges were the result of an investigation by the Park Forest Police Department of an online sting operation conducted by Predator Poachers Southeast Texas officers responded to a report from a 28-year-old member of the group who posed as a 13-year-old girl on the social media app Bluesky according to a court filing by Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Frank Byers Officers were provided text threads from Bluesky Officers discovered Reda had conversations with the purported 13-year-old girl that were “sexual in nature,” Byers said Reda allegedly admitted to officers that he agreed to meet with the person he thought was a girl but claimed she said she was 23 on a Facebook video call that recording since has been obtained and this is simply not the case,” Byers said and he agreed to make his son available to the police on March 13 Byers requested Reda stay in jail because he is charged with an offense eligible for detention and he posed a threat to the community Chicago attorney Peter Soukaras persuaded Judge Derek Ewanic to release Reda from jail on Friday, court records show. Ewanic signed a court order demanding Reda have no contact with anyone under 18 and have no internet access after he is released from jail. Ewanic also required Reda to submit to 24-hour electronic monitoring and home confinement. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network Thousands in Centre County Lose Power After Severe Storms Man Dies by Electrocution in State College After Severe Storm Damaged Power Lines Road Closures Continue in Centre County After Severe Storm Park Forest Middle School dismissed students early on Tuesday because of a sewer issue affecting the school building Students at the Patton Township school were sent home at noon according to State College Area School District All after-school and evening activities at the middle school have been canceled “A sewer line that runs under the building backed up due to a blockage,” district spokesman Nabil Mark told StateCollege.com “The obstruction has been removed and we are cleaning up the affected areas of the school we will be doing further testing this evening but at this time we anticipate returning to normal operations tomorrow.” A post on the middle school’s Facebook page added that water to the building was shut off because of the sewer issue Fire police from Alpha Fire Company were dispatched at about 11:35 a.m. to assist the school resource officer with evacuation of the school, according to a post on the Centre County Emergency Alerts and Information Facebook page 80% of consumers turn to directories with reviews to find a local business We offer the latest breaking news and videos straight from the Centre County region in Central PA Contact us: info@statecollege.com © Copyright 2000 –  2024 | StateCollege.com® | All Rights Reserved | State College PA – Centre County – Central Pennsylvania – Home of Penn State University This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. StateCollege.com Privacy Policy page Jim Landahl was preparing willow trees from Grand Canyon National Park’s nursery to plant as campground privacy and shade his main focus was to restore vegetation and mitigate impacts after construction activities for the Transcanyon Water Distribution Pipeline a large infrastructure project replacing the 12.5-mile line that provides water to the Canyon's South Rim he and nine other probationary employees at Grand Canyon National Park were unemployed Their termination notices all used the same language many had not received any formal performance evaluations “The frustrating thing is that they cited a lack of fitness and poor performance for these positions as far as I can tell across the Park Service,” said Landahl “There's no basis to make these decisions based on performance because there was no evaluation.” Landahl was one of an estimated 1,000 probationary employees at the National Park Service who received a notice of termination on Friday from the Interior Department The terminations are a part of the Trump administration’s directive to agencies to reduce the federal workforce through mass firings of probationary employees in what critics have called a “Valentine’s Day Massacre.” Over 38% of Arizona is federal public land managed by the National Park Service Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Defense according to the Congressional Research Service According to the National Park Service’s Visitor Spending Effects Report in 2023 over 10 million visitors spent an estimated $1.2 billion while visiting Arizona’s park service lands This economic revenue could be jeopardized as the workforce reductions have the potential to impact visitor experience As mass firings hit Arizona’s iconic national parks and forests wildfire preparedness and the outdoor tourism economy has advocacy groups and former employees raising red flags Landahl entered a year-long probationary period after gaining full-time employment as a biological science technician at Grand Canyon National Park at the end of last summer but he has been working as a seasonal employee in the park since 2022 The probationary period is the final step in the competitive federal hiring process providing the government the ability to assess the probationer’s performance before they receive a final federal appointment The period can vary in length and gives government agencies the ability to swiftly fire employees who have not demonstrated fitness for their position Most federal government employees serve a probationary period trail maintenance workers and interpretive park rangers were among the public land employees fired last week The sudden loss of workers in a wide range of fields have left some public land offices struggling with daily activities According to accounts collected by the National Parks Conservation Association from across the country at least one park has lost 20% of its permanent staff one park lost 75% of its interpretive staff and others have lost fee-collecting staff during the busy season Reports of long lines at the Grand Canyon’s south entrance booths over the weekend have already garnered national attention “It sounds like more visitor centers are going to be closed because there's not enough staff to run them So that’s less opportunity for people to learn helpful information like what trails are open more about the cultural and natural historical sides of it as well,” said Sanober Mirza “So there's a bunch of different impacts that will affect Arizona communities and visitors from all over the world.” As for the vegetative restoration work being completed by Jim Landahl his firing means that the project to plant privacy hedges and shade trees at Bright Angel Campground may go uncompleted there's no privacy and there's no shade in that campground and temperatures get up to 120 degrees down in Phantom Ranch in the summertime,” said Landahl I can't see how people are going to stay there or how visitors are going to find refuge at their own campsite after hiking six hours down to the river in 100-degree heat.” Adding to the confusion, President Donald Trump’s executive order directing a hiring freeze on federal civilian employees forced the National Park Service to rescind more than 2,000 seasonal and permanent job offers according to the NPCA The Department of Interior later exempted 5,000 seasonal park positions from the hiring freeze “There continues to be mass confusion at the management and staff level with career people largely out of the loop and not consulted during a process that is coming from the Office of Personnel Management,” said Kati Schmidt communications director for the NPCA in an email Concerns over public safety and wildfire managementOwen Clark worked for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests as a seasonal employee in 2023 before being hired onto a full-time position last March His job as a forest technician involved significant time in the field maintaining trails and collecting data through surveys and ground reporting Clark was the only dedicated trails employee for the Apache side of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests which includes part of the second-tallest peak in Arizona He was weeks away from completing his probationary period when he was fired on Monday “I was kind of expecting the hammer to come down I was hoping that I could be given the opportunity to justify my job or something because this is the collapse of an entire program,” said Clark His notice of termination said the decision was performance-based He estimates that at least 15 other employees also lost their jobs at the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Although Clark is confident that the dedicated volunteers who helped him to maintain trails will continue to work they won’t have access to update the Forest Service’s database or records Without the proper maintenance and reporting the current condition of the trails can’t be made available on the public Forest Service page there is a really high likelihood that you're not going to make it out.” Department of Agriculture spokesperson confirmed Secretary Brooke Rollins's support for the president’s directive to “improve government and strengthen USDA’s many services to the American people.” which terminated “about 2,000 probationary non-firefighting employees” in the past week Despite the agency’s commitment to retain operational firefighter positions it is unclear how many of the terminated employees held qualifications that would allow them to aid in search-and-rescue or wildfire situations is an interagency certification that allows workers from other departments to assist in wildland fire incidents Jim Landahl was working toward getting his Red Card recertified and voluntarily participated in preventative search and rescue before his termination “A lot of people in the Park Service have their main job and then they also have these collateral duties that can be related to health and safety,” said Landahl Uncertain future for federal workforceThe labor unions that represent employees at the National Park Service and U.S Forest Service have filed multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration challenging the ongoing workforce reductions but the sudden job loss for the affected employees has created confusion and uncertainty at an individual level who were weeks away from completing their probationary period are now searching for work in the remote towns that border Arizona’s public lands have lost both their jobs and their housing there's not a lot of economic opportunities outside of the park itself so you're not welcome to stay once you lose your job.” It is still unclear how many federal public lands employees have been terminated across Arizona’s 22 national park units and six national forests Probationary employees are an easy target because it's easier to lay them off we're probably going to see how the deferred resignation program has turned out,” said Nicole Allen a council vice president for the National Federation of Federal Employees-Forest Service Council a union that represents federal employees at the Coconino “We could also be looking at reduction in force procedures and they haven't released a number for how many employees they want to whittle it down to John Leos covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to john.leos@arizonarepublic.com Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust has introduced bills to restore staffing at the U.S Forest Service and the National Park Service One measure is the Protect Our Parks Act of 2025 The other is known as the Save Our Forests Act of 2025 Arizona has 22 national parks, including the Grand Canyon, according to the park service. One of the states co-sponsoring Kelly's bill, Colorado, has 17 monuments Kelly said the bills will restore staffing levels at both federal agencies and ensure that national parks and forests not only remain accessible but are safe and well-maintained during the Trump administration “Trump’s indiscriminate firings are directly affecting Arizona families,” Kelly said in a press release “When there aren’t enough staff at the gates of the Grand Canyon Saguaro and other national parks around the state that means visitors are stuck in long lines and local businesses suffer.” mass firings by the Trump administration have resulted in what Kelly described as “significant staffing reductions” at the Grand Canyon and other national parks which is “negatively impacting visitor experiences” and efforts to maintain the areas Kelly said critical infrastructure projects including one that supplies water to the South Rim and Tusayan Kelly added that “when the Forest Service can’t properly prepare for fire season,” the communities of Arizona are at risk “We’re doing right by hardworking federal employees and ensuring our parks and forests have the staff they need to stay open keep visitors safe and get critical projects done on time,” the senator said “Elon Musk and his DOGE minions are willing to put that at risk and jeopardize Arizonans’ safety so they can give tax cuts to their billionaire buddies,” said Gallego “I’m proud to join Senator Kelly in fighting to ensure that our national parks are fully staffed and our national forests are safely managed.” Local elected leaders in Arizona have also thrown their support behind these bills Clarkdale Mayor Robyn Prud'homme-Bauer and Yavapai County Supervisor Brooks Compton The Trump administration says staffing changes are part of a larger effort to cut spending and get the nation’s debt under control SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Thousands of National Park and Forest workers are being fired as the federal government cuts back on spending Terminated employees say they received an email on Valentine’s Day - saying it was because of poor performance Their positions varied from educational programs “To give those employees a notice without any sort of review or notification to their supervisors or managers "It’s an insult to the services these people provide to the public.” Shu has worked at several national and state parks over the last three decades He’s also the founder of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation credited for protecting the forest from developers “Our national parks are about conserving our legacy," Shu said "What type of impact will this have on firefighting efforts in California?” Park and Forest Service employees play a big role in fighting California wildfires Shu says all of them are able to help fire teams and more than 20,000 do so every year including some from Cleveland National Forest who recently helped contain the flames in Los Angeles cleaning out the brush," said Neal Desai with National Parks Conservation Association "Things that help reduce catastrophic fires Desai says of 20,000 full-time NPS workers The USDA says it released 2,000 probationary but none of them had firefighting as part of their official job A USDA spokesperson sent 10News a statement saying: “Secretary Rollins fully supports the President’s directive to improve government and strengthen USDA’s many services to the American people We have a solemn responsibility to be good stewards of the American people’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars and to ensure that every dollar spent goes to serve the people USDA has made the difficult decision to release about 2,000 probationary non-firefighting employees from the Forest Service none of these individuals were operational firefighters Released employees were probationary in status many of whom were compensated by temporary IRA funding It’s unfortunate that the Biden administration hired thousands of people with no plan in place to pay them long-term Secretary Rollins is committed to preserving essential safety positions and will ensure that critical services remain uninterrupted.” Congressman Daryl Issa representing California's 48th district America’s debt and deficit have gone unaddressed and unresolved Government can’t come close to justifying its current size and it is a bankruptcy sentence to our children and grandchildren We will continue to provide for our national priorities but America cannot give all things to all people.” and external organizations to address a wide variety of threats affecting the function and diversity of eastern forests several endangered species will go extinct entirely within the next decade and ultimately 12 of 17 remaining native species will be lost The IIT works by preventing mosquito reproduction About half of all insects carry an intracellular parasite called Wolbachia Mosquitoes infected with different strains of Wolbachia are reproductively incompatible scientists release 500,000 incompatible male mosquitoes a week to swarm wild females the mosquito population declines—along with rates of avian malaria and intense wildfire—all exacerbated by climate change—contributed to the species’ listing as “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in January 2023 Because of its importance to alpine ecosystems whitebark pine is the subject of long-term vital signs monitoring in multiple I&M networks Although whitebark populations in the Sierra Nevada Network (SIEN) remained relatively healthy until recently emerging mortality and dieback have prompted increased attention from the network Network staff have worked with partners from the US Geological Survey and US Forest Service (USFS) to launch an I&M-led study to identify the causes and distribution of mortality in Yosemite Data from the study will contribute to the development of remote-sensing tools for early detection currently being tested by USFS specialists These tools would complement the I&M plot-based monitoring program To learn more about how the Inventory & Monitoring Division is helping strengthen the sustainability and resilience of national park ecosystems, visit Making a Difference Yellowstone National Park’s bear management team directs traffic along the park’s east entrance road in June 2023 The Teton County Board of County Commissioners wants answers from the Wyoming congressional delegation about how public lands will be safeguarded from President Trump’s sweeping layoffs Teton County leaders want answers from the Trump administration on how sweeping federal layoffs will impact public lands in Jackson Hole “The uncertainty starts here,” Teton County Commission Chair Mark Newcomb said publicly last week It makes it harder for our local emergency providers and it makes it harder for our local citizens to understand and know what to expect.” Land management agencies have not been able to provide specific numbers to the press Multiple requests for information from the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Teton park commissioners said understaffing federal agencies as visitation spikes will harm businesses that helped Teton County generate $1.7 billion in tourism-related revenue in 2023 The Bridger-Teton employs about 220 people at full staff in the summer months. Workers there have told the Jackson Hole Daily that about 40 people were let go over the last week and a half commissioners cited a similar statistic as they urged the delegation to provide information from the Trump administration to the community “We understand that the Bridger-Teton National Forest alone one of three Forests that overlap Teton County will lose around twenty-five percent of its non-fire workforce,” commissioners wrote adding that those positions include public information officers recreation technicians and trail crew workers Many of those workers have “red cards,” commissioners said certifications that allow forest employees to support wildland firefighting — if not fight fires directly during the busy fire season he was on the forest planning team and seeking a red card to assist with wildfire response in the summer “Staffing cuts of this magnitude have consequences that will impact bathroom cleanliness and more,” commissioners wrote in their letter The five Democratic elected officials from Wyoming’s most prosperous county urged the Equality State’s Republican congressional delegation to ask Trump’s appointees what they plan to do to “ensure our community’s safety our visitors’ enjoyment of their public lands and the vitality of our economy without the work of these valued federal employees.” If the delegation gets information the electeds asked for them to share it with the county Harriet Hageman respond remains to be seen The Daily reached out to all three lawmakers for their reactions to the layoffs and asked whether they would support exempting any employees from the purge Other outlets have reported that public safety-related positions and firefighters would be spared but employees fired from the Bridger-Teton have had their fire-related red cards and the ability to serve in law enforcement roles Only Barrasso responded to the request for comment “President Trump is right to rein in wasteful Washington spending across the board,” he said in an emailed statement basic government functions and public safety aren’t compromised I’ve made sure the administration understands how important it is to keep our national parks and forests adequately staffed We will continue working with all agencies to understand the impacts these proposed cuts have in Wyoming and to ensure our communities have a voice at the table.” Contact Billy Arnold at 307-732-7063 or barnold@jhnewsandguide.com or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to read or post comments no promotional deals were found matching that code Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist breaking news alerts as they become available Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of healthcare and wellness news from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of private public and continuing education news from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a monthly e-newsletter with a selection of photography and video from the Jackson Hole News&Guide Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of town and county government news from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of arts and entertainment headlines from the Scene section of Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of economic and business news from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of environmental news from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a spotlight on Jackson Hole's crime justice and emergency news from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a daily e-newsletter with a selection of local state and regional news headlines from the Jackson Hole Daily.  Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of inspiring stories about the faces and places of Jackson Hole from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of outdoors sports and recreation news from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of trending local news headlines from the Jackson Hole News&Guide Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of news headlines from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.  Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of Wyoming government news from the Jackson Hole News&Guide Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account