News – Trailkeepers of Oregon

TKO Update 10/14/2025: When the Rules Change, Volunteer Stewardship During a Federal Shutdown
Message from Steve Kruger, Executive Director, Trailkeepers of Oregon
Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO) shares an update on the 2025 federal shutdown and new Forest Service guidance that allows certain volunteer trail work to continue — a first in TKO’s partnership history with the Forest Service. Learn how this confusing moment is also an opportunity for shared stewardship.
TKO is moving forward with a case-by-case approach to volunteer activities during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
This means that while most TKO projects on National Forest lands will remain on pause, a limited number may continue only where we have clear, written approval from local Forest Service contacts and safety coverage is confirmed. At the same time, we are ramping up projects on State Parks and local public lands to ensure our volunteers can keep caring for Oregon’s trails safely and responsibly.
Our decisions are guided by TKO’s values of safety, stewardship, and partnership. We know some partner organizations are taking different paths, and as federal guidance evolves, we may adjust our approach. For now, this plan allows TKO to continue making progress while prioritizing volunteer safety and long-term trust with our agency partners.
Thank you for your patience and flexibility while we navigate this.
Shutdown or not, Oregon’s trails deserve care — but how we care for them matters. For the first time since TKO became a nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service in 2007, there is new guidance that volunteers would be allowed to continue some trail work during a federal government shutdown.
That’s a big shift. In every past shutdown, all volunteer activities on federal lands were halted. This year, new federal guidance permits certain pre-funded partnerships and projects to move forward — creating both confusion and opportunity.
Why This Moment Is Confusing
The official Forest Service “Lapse in Appropriations” guidance, released October 3rd, and clarified further on October 8th, allows work tied to existing agreements to continue. Lines between essential, pre-approved, and externally funded projects are blurry, leaving partners like TKO to interpret changing rules in real time. Clarification on October 8th is confirming that those agreements to support cooperative partners will be honored. With many of the agency staff we typically communicate with furloughed, we are working to verify oversight to keep volunteers safe and reimbursements for services continuing without delay.
“We’re in uncharted territory. Our goal is to keep volunteers safe and our organization supported.”
Why It’s Also an Opportunity
This situation underscores what makes the TKO community special — the ability to step up for Oregon’s trails when they need it most.
- Self-reliance and shared stewardship: Communities caring for public lands show resilience and ownership of natural resources.
- Cost efficiency: Volunteer service activities can keep some essential maintenance happening and support visitors.
- Continuity of access: Keeping trails open supports public health, wellness, and outdoor connection.
- Support for local economies: Maintained trails help sustain nearby small businesses and rural tourism.
“When public systems pause, community action can keep Oregon’s hiking experience alive.”
Why Caution Still Matters
Even as we see opportunity, there are serious considerations:
- Filling gaps too effectively could reduce public awareness of how disruptive shutdowns are for land management and agency staff.
- Public perception may portray that everything is just fine with toilet paper rolls being replaced by a skeleton crew of agency staff and trails cleared by volunteers, continuing volunteer work can blur the line between community service and replacing furloughed staff.
- Safety, liability, and reimbursement for organizations are uncertain, with approvals going to the email addresses of staff we know to be furloughed.
- Annual work planning and long term trail system improvements are being ignored out of an urgency to keep facilities clean and trails safe, losing ground on enhancing the Oregon hiking experience.
Finding Balance
TKO’s approach will be measured and transparent. We’ll continue work that is clearly permitted and safe, while pausing projects where direction remains unclear. We’ll share updates as federal guidance evolves and keep our volunteers and partners informed every step of the way.
This is a moment to show that shared stewardship is more than words — it’s a community value that persists even in uncertainty.
“The Oregon hiking experience depends on all of us — caring, cautiously, and together.”
Call to Action: How You Can Help
- Stay flexible: Trail projects may change with little notice — check the TKO volunteer calendar for updates and monitor your email for changes to trail parties you’ve signed up for.
- Stay informed: Read our previous post, Update on Potential Federal Shutdown, for context on what TKO expected and USDA Forest Service Updated Partnership Guidance, for where we are now.
- Stay concerned: The perception is that everything is just fine, toilet paper rolls are full and immediate trail repairs might be fixed, but the toll on the remaining staff on duty is high and we are not taking the long view in planning for the protection and enhancement of Oregon’s trails.
- Stay engaged: Support our mission to protect and enhance Oregon’s hiking experience by donating or volunteering when projects resume in full.
Together, we’re proving that Oregon’s trail community is resilient — even when the path forward isn’t perfectly clear.
Steve Kruger
October 14, 2025
Advocacy, News, Uncategorized
Advocacy, Press
Update on potential federal shutdown
10/1/2025 Update: We are taking a conservative, safety-first approach and following our shutdown plan:
• TKO activities on Federal lands are considered “non-essential” and will pause during the shutdown.
•. Every 2 days to 1 week, staff and leads will cancel or reschedule Federal trail parties and Ambassador activities.
•. We’ll pivot to non-Federal projects (Oregon State Parks, local lands, etc.) and redirect volunteers accordingly.
Message from Steve Kruger, Executive Director, Trailkeepers of Oregon
Reflecting on the potential federal government shutdown, my mind turns immediately to the people behind our public lands: the dedicated agency staff. While most people see headlines about missed paychecks and closed government services, I can’t help but think about the crushing workload that awaits them when they are finally allowed to return to their posts. Every day lost isn’t just a paycheck deferred—it’s a backlog growing heavier. Trash piles up at trailheads, trail maintenance slips further behind, and rehabilitation projects are pushed off indefinitely. The anxiety they feel at home is not only about personal survival, but also about the places and people they have sworn to serve.
This reality resonates deeply with me. Early in my career, I served as a park ranger with Oregon State Parks during the recession years. Furloughs and hiring freezes were painful reminders of how fragile these systems are. Even under normal circumstances, agency staff walk away at the end of each day knowing only a fraction of the work got done. Volunteers often carry the rest. When those volunteers can’t step in, the work is simply deferred—left undone until resources appear, if they ever do. Those years impressed on me just how much strain public servants carry, often without recognition.
It was in part that tug on my heart that led me to leave Oregon State Parks in 2017 to lead Trailkeepers of Oregon. I believed, and still believe, that from the partner side I could make a bigger impact—helping relieve some of the burden born by our agency colleagues. I’m proud that TKO has been able to strengthen support for local and state lands, rallying volunteers to fill gaps and extend care where resources fall short. Yet when it comes to our federal partners, shutdowns tie all of our hands. In the event of a shutdown, we will have to cancel trail stewardship events because our activities are considered “non-essential,” with Forest Service staff telling us that even our volunteer crews can not proceed because no one will be available to authorize or coordinate our service work.
Stories will play out across the nation in National Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Refuges. With staff furloughed, community members may scramble to scrub restrooms, empty trash cans, and try to keep chaos at bay. They’ll do this out of love for the land and because their livelihoods depend on it—but they are shouldering responsibilities that should never fall entirely to volunteers. From enforcing park rules to managing safety, there are gaps that only trained agency staff can fill. Each day without them, conditions degrade further, and recovery will be slow and costly.
A shutdown isn’t an abstract policy debate for those of us in the field. It is a real disruption to the protection of our lands, to the experience of millions of visitors, and to the well-being of the public servants who have committed their lives to this work. Here in Oregon, it means trails go uncleared, projects stall, and volunteers who are eager to serve are sidelined. Across the country, it means local economies from gateway towns to guide services are strained as uncertainty ripples outward.
At Trailkeepers of Oregon, we know firsthand that people power—volunteers stepping up—is essential to keeping trails open and safe. But we also know it isn’t enough on its own. Public lands require the steady, skilled stewardship of agency staff, backed by stable funding and reliable governance. Without them, we are throwing gravel on an endless muddy patch that needs a real solution.
Our hope at TKO is that we can continue to be part of the solution—mobilizing communities to care for trails, advocating for the resources agencies need, and reminding policymakers that these lands are not abstract.
Steve Kruger, Executive Director
Dan Sharp
September 23, 2025
Advocacy, News
Advocacy
An Unprecedented Sell-Off: 250 Million Acres of Public Land at Risk
More than 21 million acres in Oregon could be sold
For generations, Americans have understood public lands as a shared inheritance—guided by a conservation ethic dating back to President Theodore Roosevelt’s protection of national forests, parks, and monuments. But a new proposal in Congress would undo much of that legacy.
A provision in the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee’s budget reconciliation bill mandates the sale of 2 to 3 million acres of public land over just five years to offset tax cuts. These are lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management—places where we hike, camp, and connect with nature.
Even more alarming: the bill defines eligibility so broadly that over 250 million acres of federally managed land could be considered for disposal—including more than 21 million acres in Oregon alone.
Lands currently open for public recreation could be sold to any “interested party,” with minimal restrictions—even those within roadless areas, critical habitat zones, or lands with cultural significance.
This is not land management. It’s liquidation. Once sold, these places are gone—for good.
See the interactive map here
Take Action Today
- Visit Friends of the Columbia Gorge’s action page: We’re standing with our partners at Friends of the Columbia Gorge to oppose this bill. Their action page makes it easy to email your representatives—please take a moment to speak up now: https://act.gorgefriends.org/a/gorge-is-not-for-sale
- See what’s at stake: Explore this interactive map showing public lands in Oregon and across the West that could be affected.
- Spread the word: Share this message. Post on social media. Let friends and family know why you cherish these lands—and why we must fight to keep them public.
“There are no do‑overs when it comes to selling off public lands. Once they’re sold, they’re lost forever.”
— Senator Ron Wyden, June 17, 2025
Trailkeepers of Oregon remains committed to protecting and enhancing the Oregon hiking experience through trail stewardship, advocacy, and education. We invite all Oregonians to stand with us in ensuring that our public lands continue to serve the public good.
Send a message to your senators today

What it would mean for Oregon
According to the legislative criteria, over 21 million acres of Oregon’s public lands could become eligible for sale. These include areas within national forests and BLM-managed regions that are home to popular hiking trails, campgrounds, and wildlife habitat. These are places where families go to connect with nature, where volunteers—like those organized by Trailkeepers of Oregon—invest time and care to maintain trails, and where rural communities benefit from the economic activity outdoor recreation brings.
Oregon Public Lands Potentially Affected:
- Total: 21,745,380 acres
- U.S. Forest Service (USFS): 9,889,298 acres
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM): 11,856,082 acres
What it means for Oregon and TKO’s mission
If this bill passes, the impact on trail access could be immediate and irreversible. Public lands near some of Oregon’s most iconic hiking destinations—including the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood National Forest, the Deschutes National Forest, and the Owyhee Canyonlands—could be sold off to private buyers. Once sold, these lands could be gated, developed, mined, or otherwise closed to the public, with no requirement for continued recreational access.
This includes areas where Trailkeepers of Oregon has invested years of volunteer labor—restoring trails, building access infrastructure, and maintaining safe, sustainable routes for hikers.
Selling these lands would not only undermine decades of stewardship—it would sever the connection between Oregonians and the places they’ve worked to protect, setting a dangerous precedent for the future of conservation and access.
Public lands are a shared legacy
Oregon’s public lands are more than just acreage—they are part of our cultural identity, our economy, and our daily lives.
- Outdoor recreation generates over $8 billion annually for Oregon and supports more than 70,000 jobs.
- Trail access supports community health, offering free, close-to-home opportunities to be active and reduce stress.
- Public lands provide critical ecological services, from clean water to wildlife habitat.
- Volunteers play a vital role in maintaining Oregon’s trails, investing time, tools, and care into landscapes that belong to everyone.
Selling these lands moves us away from the principle that public lands should remain in public hands—for all people, for all time.
Trailkeepers of Oregon’s position
This legislation is not a new approach to land management—it’s the end of it. Once these lands are sold, they are no longer ours to manage, protect, or enjoy. While there is room for thoughtful discussion about how public lands are funded and cared for, permanent disposal without robust public input threatens access, undercuts local economies, and fragments ecosystems.
Instead of selling off public land, we believe in investing in it—ensuring future generations have the same opportunities to hike, explore, and care for Oregon’s outdoors as we do today.
We urge you to take action by signing the petition, making calls, and telling your friends and family why you cherish these lands—and why we must fight to keep them public for all to enjoy.
Learn more from trusted sources
- Read the bill text: Senate Energy & Natural Resources Budget Reconciliation Draft (June 17, 2025, PDF)
- Outdoor Alliance action page: Protect Public Lands – Outdoor Alliance
- Washington Trails Association advocacy update: WTA Campaign Overview
- The Wilderness Society summary and resources: The Wilderness Society – Budget Reconciliation Threats
Steven Moore
June 23, 2025
Advocacy, News
Advocacy
Volunteer Spotlight: Hope McKee
Photo by Dan Sharp
For Hope McKee, trail work started with an invitation from a friend.
“A friend signed up for a trail party after the Eagle Creek Fire and asked if I wanted to join her. She said it sounded like something I’d enjoy—and she was right.”
Since that first day, Hope has become a familiar and welcoming face on the trails with TKO, leading crews twice a week and helping steward some of Oregon’s most beloved places.
“What kept me coming back honestly was the people,” Hope says. “Everyone was so kind and welcoming. Being in the woods has always been my happy place, so that combined with nice folks really ticked off a lot of boxes for me.”
Hope’s leadership journey hasn’t been without nerves—especially before big projects like clearing massive fallen trees on the Salmon River Trail, or building multi-gabion structures on the Oneonta Trail.
“There’s an interesting dichotomy before a big project: equal parts excitement and anxiety. Or maybe 75% excitement and 25% anxiety!”
Of all the places she’s worked, the Salmon River Trail holds a special place in her heart.
“When my daughter was little, we did a lot of backpacking on that trail. It’s lush, beautiful, and unburned. What a treat to help take care of it now.”
Photo by Dan Sharp
Hope says her go-to trail snack is something fresh—“a satsuma or some grapes”—plus something salty and, of course, chocolate at the end of a long day.
If you’re considering joining a TKO trail party, Hope has simple advice:
“Go for it. It’s fun, we’re nice—and we’ll give you chocolate.”
Trail work has given Hope much more than skills with tools. “I’m not a natural leader. Public speaking made me nervous. But trail crew gave me a ton of confidence, and a whole new skill set. It’s really enhanced my life—and I’ve made amazing friends who are so important to me.”What Hope loves most about TKO is the way trail work becomes a turning point for so many people. “So often, someone shows up for their first trail day saying they just retired, or were laid off, or are navigating a loss. And then they come back, again and again, because they find purpose and community. And I just love that.”
Photo by Dan Sharp
Steven Moore
May 28, 2025
News
Volunteer Spotlight
Volunteer Spotlight: Kai Lewis
When Kai Lewis came across a social media post about Trailkeepers of Oregon, something clicked. “I had never heard of TKO, but I instantly loved the idea. I signed up and was at my first trail party two days later.”
At the time, Kai was looking for connection. “I wanted to meet new people and give back to the trails I love,” they said. “I had become quite isolated and had a feeling I’d fit in at a TKO trail party.” That instinct proved right—trail work quickly became both a passion and a path toward community. “I keep coming back because of the friends I’ve made. That, and I really love doing trail work.”
One of Kai’s most meaningful projects has been working on the Gwynn Creek Trail—a place they had hiked for years. “It makes me proud that my work will allow people to continue hiking in such a beautiful place. I think I love it even more now that I’m part of the trail. Plus,” they added with a laugh, “I did accidentally eat some of the mud, so it’s part of me now too!”
Trail work has helped Kai build strength and confidence. “After my first log-out on the Harris Ranch Trail, I realized just how strong I felt. I definitely used some new muscles!” It’s also brought plenty of laughs. “I recently learned that chopping a tree root in a mud puddle will send mud flying—in every direction. Next time I’ll keep my mouth closed.”
But the most lasting impact of volunteering, Kai says, is the sense of belonging. “As a queer person, I haven’t always felt comfortable in outdoor spaces. But with TKO, I feel safe. I feel accepted. The other volunteers have all been kind, and I know my crew leader has my back out on trail.”
Today, Kai is not only a valued part of the TKO volunteer crew—they’re a reminder of what makes trail stewardship so powerful: the chance to give back, connect, and find your place.
Steven Moore
May 11, 2025
News
Volunteer Spotlight
Volunteer Spotlight: Karen Campbell
My name is Karen. I am originally from Scotland, but lived for a while in England and California, before moving to Oregon in 2020.
I was introduced to Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO) by my husband, Neil. Neil is a trail runner, and for some of the longer races there is an entry requirement that you have to do a set number of volunteer trailwork hours before you can run the race. While we lived in California, Neil volunteered with a group called the Trail Center to get his hours, then kept going back because he enjoyed it. At that point, I had other things that I was involved in, so never went with him.
When we moved up to Oregon, one of the first things Neil did once we were settled, was look for a similar organisation where he could volunteer out on the trails and he found TKO! After a while, Neil managed to persuade me to join him and I nervously went along. My first trail party was in June 2022 at Wahkeena Falls with Josh. I found that I really enjoyed the experience and it wasn’t long before I signed up for another event, again at Wahkeena with Josh! Since then, I have signed up for more and more events and, in less than 3 years, have done over 250 trail parties! I have learned so much! I got my A-cert in crosscut, advanced to become an Assistant Crew Leader (ACL) and I am now also a Crew Leader (CL).
One of the main things that keeps me coming back to TKO is the people. I mentioned that we moved to Oregon in 2020, it turns out that mid-pandemic isn’t a great time to move to a new state where you know no-one! There were very few opportunities to get out and meet people, so I felt fairly isolated until I started volunteering with TKO. I am quite an introverted person, so meeting new people can be difficult for me, but I instantly felt welcomed by all of the other volunteers and staff and was comfortable enough to keep going back, both with Neil, and on my own.
Neil and I are a bit odd, in that we don’t have a car! Most trails are difficult, if not impossible, to get to on public transit. My third trail party was at Milo McIver State Park with Pat and Elaine. On that day, we got the bus to Estacada and walked/ran from there to the meeting point for the trail party – a distance of about 4 miles! The other volunteers were amazed with how we had got there, and they refused to let us head back to Estacada on foot, insisting that they would give us a ride. They also shared their contact info with us and said to get in touch if we ever wanted a ride to or from an event. With out the willingness of so many kind volunteers and staff members, I would have really struggled to become so involved with TKO.
I am so grateful that Neil persuaded me to go along with him to Wahkeena for my first trail party. I have made some amazing friends through TKO and I am happy to be surrounded by the TKO community, it feels like a family.
Steven Moore
April 24, 2025
News
Crew Leader, Volunteer Spotlight, Week1
Enhanced Bus Service now helps Oregon Coast Trail hikers avoid highway shoulder walking
Photo by Bonnie Henderson
The increasingly popular 400-mile-long Oregon Coast Trail relies on a combination of public beaches, forest trails, water taxis, and backroads to take hikers from the Columbia River to the California border. Seaside cliffs and stretches of private land still require hikers to walk along the shoulder of US 101 in several stretches. But recent improvements in bus service along the coast now provide hikers with a safer alternative at every significant highway shoulder section while minimizing hikers’ miles off the trail’s beaches and footpaths.
A network of six transit agencies has long provided uninterrupted service along the Oregon Coast, but using only official bus stops would take hikers off the trail for long distances, making bus use less attractive to hikers. Transit officials have recently expanded their use of unofficial but safety-vetted flagstops for hikers along the entire OCT route. Among those sections most beneficial to hikers:
- From the trailhead at the south side of Cascade Head to hikers’ return to the beach at the north end of Lincoln City, eliminating 4 miles of highway shoulder walking.
- From the north end of the tunnel at Heceta Head to hikers’ return to the beach north of Florence, allowing hikers to bypass a tunnel with no sidewalk a particularly dangerous highway section.
- From Humbug Mountain State Park to Ophir, the longest continuous highway stretch on the OCT.
Using the bus requires planning, as some routes run infrequently. Be prepared to pay bus fare in cash (typically $2.50 or less).
Approved OCT flagstops can be found here.
Steven Moore
March 26, 2025
News, Oregon Coast Trail
Oregon’s Trails are in Jeopardy
TKO has always stepped up where federal resources fall short, but the current funding crisis is putting Oregon’s trails—and our ability to maintain them—at serious risk.
A Looming Crisis for Public Lands
Federal budget cuts and layoffs have eliminated thousands of agency jobs, including recreation managers, trail crews, and wildfire mitigation teams—the very people who keep our trails safe, accessible, and well-maintained. Certain Ranger Districts report they have no dedicated trails staff. With another round of cuts expected, it’s becoming clear that nearly 100% of trail maintenance on National Forest lands will rely on volunteers.
Nearly $500,000 in federal funding awarded to TKO is stalled, delayed, or in question. Every $1 to TKO nearly doubles out to trails. These funds are tied to TKO’s commitments to:
- Over 170 trail days & trainings from Great American Outdoors Act deferred maintenance funding for restoring trails in multiple National Forests across the state.
- Over 100 trail days & Ambassador activities through Title II Rural Schools, Roads & Trails grants for maintenance and visitor services in Siuslaw and Mt. Hood National Forests.
- Over 50 trail days through disaster relief funds to perform wildfire restoration in Mt. Hood NF, critical for post-fire trail recovery.
- Over 50 volunteers and professionals to issue saw certifications in Deschutes NF, essential for training sawyers who clear downed trees on popular trails like the Pacific Crest Trail.
- Over an estimated 3,000 volunteer participants maintaining and restoring trails, engaging visitors at trailheads and the backcountry with an in-kind labor value of over $800,000 to keep Oregon’s trails safe and welcoming before/during your next hiking adventures.
- Even $50,000 in services we’ve already provided is unpaid due to government delays the first 3 months of this year.
What TKO Is Doing Right Now
I want to be transparent with our community about the impact this may have on our mission. Each day we hear of another nonprofit laying off staff and/or suspending federal land activities, if they can. The U.S. Forest Service has let us know that our future federal funding may be delayed while it is under review as part of the new administration’s efforts to reduce federal spending and staffing. We are unsure when or if this funding will be cut, reduced, or fully restored.
With this uncertainty, we are planning our work and working our plan:
- With dwindling cash reserves, and a hope for invoicing to catch up, we are still hosting dozens of trail stewardship events and educational programs on federal trails, ensuring Oregon’s trails remain open and safe.
- TKO’s fundraising team is having a flurry of major donor conversations and planning a spring fundraiser to invest in TKO’s service to National Forests while funding is in question.
- Our program staff is actively putting in place contingencies for stewardship & Ambassadors, pivoting to non-federal projects, working with state, county, and local land managers to continue essential trail service.
- We’re also engaging directly with other trail organizations, state leaders, and lawmakers to advocate for funding stability and long-term investment in public lands.
This isn’t just about TKO—it’s about keeping Oregon’s trails accessible for everyone. Learn how you can help below.
See you on the trails,
Steve Kruger
TKO Executive Director
How You Can Help
Public lands belong to all of us. We need to act now.
📲 Call Your Representatives – Demand restoration of federal funding for trail stewardship.

💪 Volunteer – Sign up for a TKO trail party and help keep Oregon’s trails open. Find an event:

💰 Donate – Help us fill the funding gaps and keep trail work moving forward. Give today:

📣 Tell a Friend – The more people who care about trails and protecting our wild places, the stronger we are. Share this message, invite a friend to a trail event or help pay forward the service we provide.
This moment is a test of our commitment to Oregon’s trails. TKO is ready. Join us in our mission to keep trails open for all to enjoy!
Steven Moore
March 16, 2025
Advocacy, News
Advocacy
ACTION ALERT: Forest Service cuts to seasonal staffing will hurt trails and recreational access
This post comes with big thanks to our friends at Washington Trails Association who invited us to borrow heavily from their similar action alert! We invite you to scan the similarities and differences between Oregon and Washington in WTA’s article with a carbon copy for Oregon that we created below.
If you hike in Oregon, odds are excellent that you’ve enjoyed trails on U.S. Forest Service land. About 39% of Oregon (yes, that’s over 14 million acres of the state) is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. National forests contain some of the most iconic landscapes, popular campgrounds and beloved hiking trails in the state. Encircle Mt. Hood on the Timberline trail, hike along a National Scenic Trail like the Deschutes River trail, visit the Oregon Dunes along the coast, or backpack in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and you are enjoying some of the over 15,000 miles of national forest trails in Oregon.
Millions of visitors spread out in Oregon’s 14 million acres of Forest Service lands and 15,000 miles of trails. Photo by TKO volunteer leader Neil Cadsawan
A funding crisis is putting Forest Service trails, campgrounds and other types of outdoor recreation at risk. The U.S. Forest Service is currently making major cuts to its workforce that will reduce its ability to maintain trails, clean trailhead restrooms, collect trash and provide essential services.
BUDGET CRISIS WILL CUT JOBS AND REDUCE SERVICES
The U.S. Forest Service manages most miles of trail in Oregon:
- U.S. Forest Service has more than 15,524 miles of trail in Oregon state.
In contrast:
- Oregon State Parks manages over 1,300 miles of trails.
- Oregon Department of Forestry includes over 175 miles of non-motorized trails.
- Crater Lake National Park contains over 100 miles of hiking trails.
National forests are managed by the federal government for a mix of purposes including recreation, timber production, and preserving natural resources and biodiversity. The Forest Service has historically accomplished most of its on-the-ground work with temporary employees who work for a portion of the year.
A U.S. Forest Service seasonal employee walks alongside Trailkeepers of Oregon volunteers on the Historic Columbia River Highway after restoring sections of hiking trails in 2018 when the area was closed due to the Eagle Creek fire. Photo by TKO
The Forest Service currently has less money than it needs to cover its expenses and pay its staff. The agency has a deficit of more than $700 million. In response, the chief of the Forest Service announced that the agency will not hire any seasonal positions except those that respond to forest fires. This means cutting more than 2,400 seasonal jobs, including trail crews, wilderness rangers, biologists, and many other types of temporary staff.
BLOCKED TRAILS, UNSANITARY BATHROOMS & LACK OF BACKCOUNTRY SUPPORT
It takes a lot of time and effort to maintain Forest Service trails. Volunteers, including the thousands of people who power TKO’s trail parties, keep many national forest trails open. But volunteers are not the only ones in the woods fixing trails and clearing obstacles. Forest Service trail crews spend their summers in the backcountry. Each year, those seasonal employees accomplish about half of the trail maintenance completed on national forest trails.
When you hike on national forest lands next summer, you will feel the absence of Forest Service seasonal staff. You will likely see trails and even roads blocked by logs. You may notice small landslides and debris flows that bury your path or find trails covered in thick brush. At trailheads, you may find unsanitary bathrooms.
Here are some of the tasks that seasonal workers impacted by the cuts do for the Forest Service:
- Share information with the public about recreation and regulations.
- Maintain trails, cut brush, remove logs, build rock retaining walls
- Repair infrastructure including tables, signs, buildings and fire pits.
- Inspect trail bridges
- Patrol wilderness areas and protect natural resources from avoidable damage
- Conduct surveys of wildlife and collect other types of scientific data.
- Help control noxious weeds
- Assist in laying out timber sales and plant trees after a timber harvest.
- Maintain range structures like fencing
- Remove graffiti and pick up trash
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
This budget crisis has both long-term and short-term causes. Since the 1990s, the Forest Service has lost about 8,000 jobs nationally, including about half of its trail crew and forestry technician positions. Funding for the agency has not kept up with rising costs. TKO seeks to consistently advocate for the Forest Service, we are now teaming up with Washington Trails Association so that the Forest Service can hire more people to complete its complex mission. Recent events have taken the agency in the wrong direction.
- In the last few years, costs at the Forest Service have gone up but federal funding hasn’t. For instance, in 2022 and 2023, federal workers received cost of living adjustments to lift real wages to match inflation.
- However, Congress did not pass bills to increase funding for salaries and expenses at the U.S. Forest Service to pay for those wage increases.
- The Forest Service added employees as the agency works to implement projects that reduce the risk of forest fires, using funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, but that funding was short term and is not available moving forward.
- The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a spending bill that would cut funding for the Forest Service in 2025. This bill has not become law, but the Forest Service is making cuts to prepare for a possible reduction in resources.
The result of all of this is a depleted agency that is making drastic cuts to its operations and searching for ways to save money in all of its non-fire-fighting programs.
WHAT IS TKO DOING?
Since the cuts were announced, TKO has advocated for the Forest Service to adjust their plans. Teaming up with 27 organizations in lobbying the agency to exempt seasonal positions that are funded entirely from outside grants from the cuts. Eliminating grant funded positions will provide little cost savings and disproportionately hurt trails. TKO is coordinating with nonprofit partners and talking with Forest Service leaders, Oregon’s congressional delegation, and others to explore additional long-term solutions.
Public lands need robust funding. TKO will continue to work with partner organizations from across the country to advocate for trails and ensure that everyone can enjoy their benefits. In 2025, Congress has the opportunity to invest in our country’s trails by reauthorizing the Great American Outdoors Act’s Legacy Restoration Fund, which has directed more than $149 million to help reduce the maintenance backlog on national forest trails over the last 4 years. We will work to get that legislation passed. At the same time, we expect the new Congress and incoming presidential administration to consider cuts to government programs including further shrinking budgets at the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. TKO will remain a stalwart voice speaking up for public lands.
HOW CAN HIKERS HELP?
Donate to TKO. Even if we can convince Congress to pass a budget and make drastic changes, it is apparent that already there are rippling effects that will delay winter storm clean up, wildfire restoration, and annual/deferred maintenance. Contributing financially to TKO will help us do more in this immediate time of need!
Can’t give financially? Make a phone call. Congress has not yet passed bills to fund the government in 2025. There is still time to avoid the further budget cuts and address the Forest Service funding crisis. Oregon’s congressional delegation needs to hear why national forest trails are important to you. Take action today.
In 2025, we need Congress to reject the Forest Service funding cuts proposed by the House of Representatives. This year and moving into the future, we need increased investment in the Forest Service to support staffing including seasonal employees.
The most important message for Congress is that hikers value our National Forests and Trails. Here is what that might look like in federal budget language:
- Congress should address the current budget crisis and invest in the U.S. Forest Service workforce.
- For fiscal year 2025, funding for the Forest Service is better in the Senate’s Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act than in the House version. Congress should use the Senate numbers.
- The U.S. Forest Service has an account called Recreation, Heritage and Wilderness which helps it manage its lands. We want to see $70 million added to that account — and we want to see a commensurate increase to the National Forest System Salaries and Expenses to cover the staffing costs to support the work.
Calling members of Congress is a powerful way to make your voice heard. Staff who work for elected officials keep track of the calls they receive and consider their constituents’ views when they decide what challenges to prioritize. A single call can elevate an issue. All members of Congress benefit from hearing that hikers care about public lands and want the Forest Service and recreation to be well funded.
It will only take a few minutes of your time to share your support for USFS trails!
Type Your Address at this Link to Get Your Congressional Office Phone Numbers
Recommended Talking Points
Hi, my name is [your name], and I’m a constituent calling to ask that Congress increase funding for the Forest Service in 2025.
I’m asking to fund the Forest Service at the levels in the Senate’s Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, not the reduced funding recently proposed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Cutting funding for the Forest Service and its staff reduces access to the outdoors and our public lands and threatens to close our Forest Service trails and campgrounds. Getting outside benefits our economy, our health and it’s personally important to me because [your message].
Thank you for taking my call today.
Henny Hennessy
November 21, 2024
Advocacy, News
Advocacy
Wildfire Resilience, Shellburg Falls Reopens in the Santiam State Forest
Among the many communities, natural landscapes, and hiking trails that were set ablaze in the historic 2020 Labor Day Wildfires, the Beachie Creek fire swept across Shellburg Falls Recreation Area in the Santiam State Forest southeast of Salem. Once the smoke cleared, TKO was called upon to help!
Scouting by TKO interns in spring 2021 along the Shellburg Falls trail.
First scouting trip into Shellburg Falls post-fire, new signage was the first thing to go up even before any of the hazard tree removal or trails restoration.
Scouting by TKO interns in spring 2021 along the Shellburg Falls trail, shot from the section of stairs that have now been decommissioned post-fire.
Like its neighbor Silver Falls State Park (but much smaller), Shellburg Falls is known for the same —one 100 feet tall and the other 40 feet— and a modest network of trails that wound through deep forest and over footbridges. Thanks to untold hours of trail restoration (okay, yes we keep track of our volunteer hours) and sophisticated bridge construction by Trailkeepers of Oregon volunteers, the park is again welcoming visitors to this recovering fire-scarred landscape.
In the first year after the fire, the Oregon Department of Forestry began removing hazard trees, and TKO was approached by Northwest Youth Corps to assign TKO-managed interns to scout the conditions. A three-person team of interns reported the severity of damage across 24+ miles of trails in the Santiam State Forest that is divided into several large blocks of land and numerous smaller parcels. The TKO interns addressed immediate safety concerns so that volunteers could follow them up and do the painstaking trail restoration necessary to welcome the public back again.
Volunteers cleared the slurry of rock and rubble and they battled brushy trail corridors at the closed site, “but the vegetation would just immediately grow back because there were no hiking boots on the ground” to help keep the trails brush-free, said Nelson Kline, a Salem-area volunteer crew leader with TKO. Nelson watched with disappointment as the cycle repeated itself over a couple of years, the open canopy accelerated the carpet of vegetation and covered TKO’s progress. With critical resource protection and necessary water crossings needing new footbridges to be built, TKO brought new energy to the site’s restoration.
Crew Leader Nelson Kline and his 6 volunteers for a day in 2021 after the Beachie Creek fire.
TKO Interns scouting the damaged Bridge in the spring of 2021.
Having fun, pretending to move an old growth log from a trail corridor during a trail realignment of Vine Maple Loop in the heart of Shellburg Falls.
Assistant Crew Leader and Board member Pablo Medina, taking a moment to walk a fresh trail realignment.
By fall 2023 the Oregon Department of Forestry recognized that without new footbridges, the park and its trail system couldn’t be reopened. ODF had bought two “bridge kits”: stacks of glulam stringers and other materials. But the two 30-foot span bridges and their approaches still needed to be designed and built.
A mighty team helped over 2 months to build two 30-foot bridges. Photo by volunteer.
The bridge footings, or sills, are a very important part of install to get square. A team gathered to make sure we were good on the first bridge install at August Mtn. trail.
Following Forest Service trail bridge designs, TKO volunteers helped prep materials and construct each part of the 30-foot bridges.
August Mtn bridge sat right on top of an old road grade, making it fairly easy to get to and a good place to stretch our skills in bridge building.
Volunteer leader Tom Brauner assembles the skyline on a tripod to shuttle 30-foot bridge beams.
So TKO Executive Director Steve Kruger enlisted Tom Brauner, a newly minted volunteer TKO crew leader and retired mechanical engineer, to lead the bridge project. The initial challenge was simply finding the first bridge site: with so much brush—salmonberry brambles 8 feet tall—“we couldn’t even tell if there was a creek in there,” Tom said. He custom-welded a tripod to move materials around with a highline. At least the first bridge was accessible by vehicles. “We weren’t so lucky on the second one,” he said: it was deep in a ravine, so stringers and even gravel had to be lowered by cable. Despite those challenges, Tom said, “The second one went a lot faster because we already had a trained crew.” Both bridges began with construction of gabions—wire-enclosed containers of rock—for the approaches at either end. In addition to bridge work, TKO volunteers removed fallen trees, brushed trails, installed drainage features, built new trail and recontoured eroding tread at more than two dozen trail parties, led in part by Tom, Nelson, and Art Mills, another Salem-area TKO crew leader. They even took on the significant task of rebuilding the trailhead parking area.
On May 17, 2024, three and a half years after the fire, Shellburg Falls reopened to the public. By then TKO volunteers had put in 875 hours to make the site ready for recreation—not including hundreds more hours Tom, Nelson, and Art have volunteered (and continue to volunteer) on their own.
If you remember Shellburg Falls from before the fire, you’ll find some things changed. There is no longer a campground. Hikers are no longer allowed to walk behind Shellburg Falls. Access has also changed; the route to the trailhead now follows a longer, rougher road. See details on TKO’s OregonHikers.org Field Guide page.
Henny Hennessy
November 14, 2024
News