Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Forest Service falls behind on wildfire prevention
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Monday, October 6, 2025
Coconino National Forest personnel; Source: USFS/Flickr ([link removed])
Despite the Trump administration's pledge to aggressively clear overgrowth from national forests, the U.S. Forest Service is falling significantly short ([link removed]) on wildfire mitigation work. By mid-September, the agency had only treated about 2.2 million acres ([link removed]) through thinning and prescribed burns. That’s far short of the over 4 million acres ([link removed]) treated during the last year of the Biden administration, and it’s also behind the agency's annual average over the past decade.
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz blamed “operational challenges” ([link removed]) and said agency resources were diverted to help battle blazes in Canada. However, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is blaming the slowdown ([link removed]) in fuel treatments on the Trump administration firing thousands of Forest Service employees ([link removed]) earlier this year.
Adding fuel to the fire, the government shutdown has stopped wildfire prevention efforts ([link removed]) across the country's entire 193 million acres of national forest land. This is terrible timing, as the fall season is the ideal time for the agency to conduct safe prescribed burns across the West.
“We were told, ‘No ignitions,’” a Forest Service fire management officer told High Country News ([link removed]) . The region where he works has upward of 10,000 acres the agency could burn this fall when weather conditions allow safe controlled burning. “Windows are few and far between,” he said. “When you’re missing windows, it’s super disappointing.”
** Quick hits
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Trump’s tariffs creating stiff headwinds for Colorado outdoor industry
Denver Post ([link removed])
Former supervisor of Colorado’s busiest national forest says public lands are ‘being held captive’ amid government shutdown
Summit Daily ([link removed])
Why Trump’s bid to save coal might raise your water bill
E&E News ([link removed])
Utah will fund national parks amid government shutdown. Here’s what it will keep open
Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
At America's national parks in the Trump era, the arc of history bends toward revisionism
Associated Press ([link removed])
Tourist life in the Tetons goes on, but shutdown hits short-staffed Park Service workers
WyoFile ([link removed])
How rare is the U.S. government's new stake in a major Nevada lithium company?
Nevada Independent ([link removed])
Feds to redo management plan for 3.6M acres in southwest Wyoming
WyoFile ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” It’s really disappointing that our public lands—which belong to all of us, they’re open and used by all walks of life and all demographics and all parties and political persuasions—are being pinched and being held captive through these political fights.”
—Scott Fitzwilliams ([link removed]) , former supervisor of the White River National Forest
** Picture This
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@VisitTelluride ([link removed])
Some scenes from today 🍂
📸: Sarah Flynn
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