The Ridgway Ouray Community Council, Ouray County’s largest citizen organization, urges Rep. Hurd to demand immediate action with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to reverse staffing cuts and restore funding to the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
These underfunded agencies are already struggling, and the loss of personnel will severely impact public lands, local economies, and conservation efforts.
Ouray County depends on outdoor recreation – hiking, four wheeling, backcountry skiing, camping, hunting, fishing, and more. Without agency staff to manage these lands, long-term damage will drive away visitors, cripple businesses, and harm our way of life.
These cuts also mean job losses for USFS, BLM, and USFWS employees – our neighbors and vital community members – leaving them without income, health care, and stability to care for themselves and their families.
The loss of trained wildland firefighters increases wildfire risks, endangering lives and property. Local agriculture will suffer as ranchers lose access to reliable public grazing rights and invasive species control programs vital for land health and livestock sustainability.
These staffing cuts directly threaten Ouray County’s economy, which relies heavily on outdoor recreation and land stewardship. The economic consequences will be devastating for local businesses, workers, and families. We need Rep. Hurd to advocate forcefully for reinstating agency staff and restoring funding.
Public lands are the backbone of our economy and environment, and those who steward them deserve fair treatment. Our community’s future depends on it.
Kristin Arnold, on behalf of the ROCC
Ridgway
