Federal land management agencies including the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the National Park Service (NPS) have laid off about 10% of their workforces.
Many, many mountain bike advocates, trail champions and local leaders have worked closely with federal land management agency staff for more than 35 years. Agency employees are essential partners and allies in trail stewardship and mountain bike access. They are dedicated professionals, and they’re our neighbors: they live in the communities they serve. They know the landscapes intimately, care for them tirelessly, and share many of the same values as the outdoor recreation community—because they are part of it. The work of land management agency staff is essential to keeping trails healthy, accessible, and protected for everyone.
What do these layoffs mean for trails and mountain biking? In the broadest sense: maintenance, permits and visitor services will be impacted for mountain bikers and for all trail users. Exactly what that looks like will vary by community based on local and regional agency priorities. This is what we need to understand more clearly. By learning more about how cuts are affecting your local community, IMBA can have a clearer national picture of these impacts to tailor our resources and advocacy accordingly.
If your local trail organization stewards trails on federal land, can you answer a few questions about how your community trails are impacted?
IMBA is looking for confirmed, location-specific examples, such as trail projects on hold and critical positions being eliminated. If you are still trying to determine this information, we recommend connecting with those you have built relationships with over the years, not only with the federal agencies, but with state agencies as well. Convene knowledgeable stakeholders who understand the nuance of how agencies and local organizations work together on trails. Compile a prioritized list of tasks or programs at risk, then work toward solutions to address the gaps. Please keep us posted on your progress and your roadblocks.
What we do know: information on impacts is changing by the day, more cuts are likely, and volunteer organizations like yours will be called upon to fill the gaps left by understaffing. While it is reasonable to evaluate whether agencies need restructuring, this broad-brush approach could have dangerous consequences for visitor safety and landscape health. It deserves thoughtful review.
Thank you to the IMBA Local Member Organizations who have shared your challenges already. In some communities, funding for trail projects has been frozen. In others, there is no longer an agency staff member responsible for facilitating MOUs with volunteer organizations doing trail maintenance. And in many places, the seasonal hiring freeze announced by the U.S. Forest Service last fall poses just as big of a challenge to trail maintenance and recreation as these more recent cuts. Some perspectives on impact point to the winter 2018/2019 government shutdown or to unstaffed facilities during the pandemic — inadequate services for unmanaged crowds. Other perspectives are extremely concerned about fire danger without trained seasonal staff. High-traffic areas worry about inadequate emergency response. And some local groups are ready to step up, but unable to without a key agency staffer available.
Please take a few minutes to let IMBA know how your community has been impacted, as well as the potential challenges you foresee for your local trails.
Your responses will help IMBA increase public understanding of these impacts, build resources, and advocate accordingly. More broadly, we will continue to advocate for all mountain bikers to support their local trail organizations, public lands advocacy groups, and outdoor nonprofits—both financially and with their time. Volunteering for trail work, maintenance, and conservation efforts will be essential in keeping our public lands clean, accessible, and thriving for everyone to enjoy.
Public lands are vital for all of us. Let’s do our part to protect them.
