Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Wildland firefighting bootcamps for women scrapped by Trump admin
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Monday, March 10, 2025
An all-women wildland fire crew heads back to their training center in Yosemite National Park in August 2022; Jennifer Emerling, ([link removed]) BLM ([link removed])
Federal training programs focused on recruiting women to become wildland firefighters have been scrapped by the Trump administration as part of its efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government. Only around 10 percent ([link removed].) of wildland firefighters are women.
Descriptions of the trainings on the U.S. Forest Service's website have been taken down, according to reporting by The 19th ([link removed]) . While information about the bootcamps is still up on websites for the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service, they now have this language at the top ([link removed]) : “Any previously issued diversity, equity, inclusion, or gender-related guidance on this webpage should be considered rescinded.”
The U.S. Forest Service has also dropped its support for the Women in Wildland Fire Advisory Council, launched last year to help women in the field find policy solutions for things like parental leave and child care. That's according to Riva Duncan ([link removed]) , vice president of the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Fire.
“It’s just unfathomable why anybody would think diversity, inclusion, and equity are bad things,” she said. ([link removed]) “It’s going to probably set things back and hurt the recruitment and retention of women into this profession.”
** Quick hits
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One year later, wolf torture incident still a ‘black eye’ for Wyoming
Wyoming Public Media ([link removed]) | WyoFile ([link removed])
Voters oppose U.S. Forest Service and National Park layoffs, poll finds
KUNR ([link removed])
Opinion: The public is losing its national forests
Bend Bulletin ([link removed])
Federal funding freeze stalls conservation work in Arizona's Sky Islands
Inside Climate News ([link removed])
Breckenridge had 119 acres of protected nature in 1997. It now has over 5,200
KUNC ([link removed])
DOGE cuts will hobble outdoor recreation in Wyoming, advocates say
WyoFile ([link removed])
The Trump administration is trying to fire the ‘backbone’ of wildland firefighting
High Country News ([link removed])
DOGE tightens its grip at the Interior department
Public Domain ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Do you want clean drinking water and wildfire-safe communities? Do you enjoy camping, hunting, fishing, skiing, mountain biking, or snowmobiling without encountering a 'No Trespassing' sign? Perhaps you prefer horseback riding, birdwatching, rafting, or mountain climbing on public lands? This is now all at stake.”
—Steve Ellis, chair of the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, Bend Bulletin ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
If the colors and curves of Reflection Canyon don’t leave you breathless, the journey to get there will. Deep in the backcountry of Utah’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, this secluded wonder requires a 50-mile drive down dirt roads and a 20-mile round trip hike to find.
** Only experienced hikers should attempt this adventure. Trekking over unmarked, rugged terrain with only the water and shelter you can carry is not for the faint of heart. **
Even if we can’t all make the trek, we can still marvel at this incredible view!
Photo by Wan Shi
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