Park, Forest Service can hire seasonals, provided they ask
Flathead National Forest ranger Nathan Trueblood, left and Carl Kohnstamm use a croisscut saw to clear the trail in the Jewel Basin near Crater Lake in this file photo.
A federal hiring freeze will still allow the Park Service and Forest Service to hire seasonal and temporary employees necessary to their operations, an Office of Management and Budget spokesperson confirmed Monday.
President Trump’s office released further clarification of the hiring freeze on Jan. 31.
The Trump freeze still allows the “appointment of seasonal employees and short-term temporary employees necessary to meet traditionally recurring seasonal workloads, provided that the agency informs its OMB Resource Management Office in writing in advance of its hiring plans.”
As far as he knew, OMB spokesman Coalter Baker said, the freeze did not exempt the entire National Park Service.
It will, however, let agencies like the Park Service and the Forest Service hire its seasonal employees. For the Forest Service, key jobs like firefighters are seasonal and for the Park Service, the bulk of summer jobs are seasonal as well.
The hiring freeze also exempts Postal Service employees.
Further clarification could come soon. Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke is expected to be appointed Secretary of Interior in the coming days.