An open letter to Montana’s Congressional delegation
I represent House District 3 in the Montana House of Representatives. My district includes the western half of Glacier National Park, a large portion of the Flathead National Forest and the gateway communities along these borders.
I am writing today knowing you are aware of the firing of 1,000 employees of the National Park Service and the firing of almost 4,400 employees of the U.S. Forest Service. This federal hiring freeze, along with the freeze on already appropriated funds (including Great American Outdoors Act and Inflation Reduction Act funding) is taking a toll on these federal agencies. The huge impact on my constituents in HD3, combined with the lack of transparency about future actions, makes it understandable that I’m receiving numerous calls from constituents.
My constituents and I are concerned that these firings and freezes are by design to break our federal land management agencies, thereby allowing certain interests to make the argument that federal parks and public lands should be privatized. Please remember that Montanans love their public lands. This is the issue that unites everyone despite political party. You have promised to support these public lands in your political campaigns.
Given your promise and the legislative mandate to care for the legacy of our public lands, my constituents and I are aghast at your opposing votes the night of
Thursday, February 20th, 2025 on the recent Senate budget resolution amendments to reinstate federal workers abruptly fired from the public lands works force (S.Con.Res. 7; Amdt. 540), to protect wild land firefighters jobs (S.Con.Res.7;S. Amdt. 316), and to prevent the selloff of public lands (S.Con.Res.7; S.Amdt.1127).
These firings are unprecedented and occurred without regard to the agencies’ ability to carry out their mandates as required by law. This loss of staff will have devastating effects on the protection and management of these lands and cause economic hardship for the communities that surround them. As our federal delegation in Washington DC, it is your duty and responsibility to provide leadership in advocating for the interests and concerns of my constituents in HD 3 and for people across the state of Montana. It is with this in mind that I reach out for assistance on behalf of my constituents.
The communities in my district have intimate connections to these public lands. Every home, cabin, barn and business in my district is under threat of wildfire, due to their proximity to forest lands. The outdoor recreation economy that we have worked so hard to establish and grow brings in millions of dollars each year to local businesses. The people who work for these agencies send their children to our schools, shop in our stores and volunteer their time in our communities. They are not simply federal employees; they are integral members of our families and communities.
My immediate concerns are the impacts of having millions of summer visitors in the Flathead Valley and all that will entail. There will be health and safety concerns with exceptionally long lines at Glacier Park entrance stations in West Glacier, a build-up of human waste in restrooms and garbage cans, the potential for increased human-wildlife conflicts, and lack of emergency response in remote areas of the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park. It is clear that the U.S. Congress played no role in these indiscriminate workforce reductions and that they were instead made on the basis of abstract targets to reduce the federal workforce and to set the stage for the sell-off of public lands.
However, given your leadership roles in Congress and your positions within the majority party, you have both an opportunity and ethical responsibility to help lead on this issue.
My suggestions are two-fold; first, a congressionally enacted moratorium on all federal workforce cuts in the landscape and communities in the greater Crown of the Continent, including Glacier National Park and the Flathead National Forest. Second, Congress needs to pass legislation to fully fund and staff our land management agencies and make a commitment to keep our public lands public.
Please understand that my requests are being made in order to do what is best for my constituents, and therefore your constituents as well. While taking these actions may be politically difficult for you, it is the right thing to do for the people and communities we serve. It will take leadership. It will take courage. You may have to stand up against people whom you call friends and allies, but this kind of bold action is what we were elected to do; to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people who call Montana home.
Representative Debo Powers, House District 3
Polebridge