- by C Bartholomew
- The Guardian
- Issue #2135
No Kings Day Protest. Photo: Geoff Livingston – Wiki Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Have you ever thought that the landscapes around you look too beautiful? Have you ever thought that your life needs a bit more of that excitement that only rampant fire danger can bring? Have you ever wanted to cut costs by spending more money? If you’re in the US, then the Trump-Musk duo’s attacks on parks and forests have you covered. If you’re Aussie, then the recent track record of the Liberals and Nationals ought to give you an idea of what to look forward to if Dutton wins government.
TRUMP AND MUSK CUT DOWN FOREST WORKERS
Trump’s war on the federal workforce led by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been fast and widespread. Musk, who has long relied on government contracts for the survival of Tesla and SpaceX, and Trump, who signed the Great American Outdoors Act during his first term, both seem eager to target the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, and the Department of the Interior as supposed government waste.
Some 3,400 employees of the US Forest Service and around 2,300 from Department of the Interior, which includes 1,000 workers from the National Park Service alongside employees from the Bureau of Land Management and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, have been terminated by the Trump-Musk administration. Most of these workers were ‘probationary,’ meaning they had been in their current positions for less than one year. While this means new hires were targeted, this group also includes newly promoted workers and seasonal employees, who are relied upon due to the fluctuating environmental and tourism needs of parks and forests.
Several news outlets have reported that many of these fired workers received the same email which blamed their termination on performance issues. Sent from Forest Service Human Resources Director Deedra Fogle, the email read “You have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest.” However, significant numbers of those who have been fired were consistently commended in positive annual reviews, demonstrating that performance had nothing to do with the mass terminations.
DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES
The Park Service alone contributes more than $55.6 billion to the USA’s national economy, while accounting for only one-fifteenth of 1 per cent of the federal budget. 325 million people visit the USA’s National Park sites each year, with 159 million using national forests. The workers affected by Trump and Musk’s cuts clear downed trees from trails, coordinate volunteer programs, support conservation efforts, work with local fisheries and other industries, and maintain toilets, waste disposal, and other key pieces of infrastructure. Americans on their spring break or summer holidays and international tourists looking for a glimpse of American wilderness may now find themselves dealing with shut or overworked visitor centres, impassable trails, closed or garbage-covered campsites, unavailable education or guide programs, and overflowing toilets.
One of the biggest concerns for both people and habitats is the effect of the job and funding cuts on fire safety. Many of the workers terminated by the Trump-Musk scheme contributed to both firefighting and fire prevention efforts. Additionally, thousands of wildland firefighters have had their jobs thrown into jeopardy by the government-wide hiring freeze. Federal agencies rely upon seasonal firefighters during high-risk periods. The Forest Service has claimed these positions are exempt from the hiring freeze. Many wildland firefighters themselves, however, reported having their jobs frozen despite the claimed exemptions.
More than 17,000 wildland fire staffers, many in seasonal roles, were hired by federal agencies last year. Many of those workers have now had their job offers rescinded, or their transfers and promotions put on hold, which has brought widespread disruption to onboarding and training. The freeze on federal spending has cut off support for programs including preventative burns, with officials unclear on what funding has been restored following recent court rulings. Tribes who manage their own fire crews are now unsure if they will receive their federal support. Engine crews may see themselves entering danger without a certified leader due to onboarding delays.
Even if firefighters themselves are exempt, key support personnel have been lost due to the job cuts. Firefighters and fire chiefs have reported losing crucial staff such as aviation managers, needed for helicopter crews, and mapping specialists, who provide vital information. Recruitment and retention of firefighters is also an issue. Firefighters in the US have long suffered inadequate worker protections as they contend with unreliable seasonal positions, long hours, and exposure to both dangerous conditions and cancerous substances, all with little pay. Wildland fire officials have noted that even without official terminations, the doubt and confusion will likely see many seasonal workers leave for employment elsewhere. State, tribal, and local leaders, even including Canadian officials such as those in the province of Saskatchewan, have begun collaborating in preparation for a fire season made more dangerous without federal support.
WARNINGS FOR AUSTRALIA
Ahead of the upcoming election, Australians should be looking to the US as a grave warning. In fact, these events should be familiar to Australian onlookers. The Coalition and their state counterparts have an atrocious track record for both environmental and fire management. The NSW Liberal Party cut tens of millions from fire services to disastrous effect, while Scott Morrison went on holiday in Hawaii after his government failed to act on expert warnings about the oncoming bushfire crisis. Cuts to health, communications, the CSIRO, and the Bureau of Meteorology have harmful impacts on resources critical for disaster response.
The Coalition has continued support for logging – even getting involved in illegal logging activity – despite warnings about its impact on both conservation and fire safety efforts. Logging in NSW actually runs at a loss, meaning taxpayers are funding the destruction of their own landscapes for no benefit other than the profits of foreign companies. Dutton seems eager to continue this trend, with his energy plan set to make Australians pay for the second-most expensive form of energy, gas, to eventually (if ever) set up the most expensive form of energy, nuclear.
The Coalition’s attacks on the public sector may be done in the name of cost-cutting, but they only end up delivering more expense as the government subsidises the corporate bottom line. Morrison spent more than $20 billion on consultants and outsourcing in his final year, while Dutton handed half a billion to Paladin, at the time run out of a shed, and other public funds to companies who were under investigation by the Australian Federal Police.
Dutton has promised to cut red and green tape and set himself up as the mining industry’s best mate, all with his pal Rinehart at his side. Australians should look to the grave example of the Trump-Musk duo’s war on the American landscape, as well as the Coalition’s own past performance, rife with incompetence and corruption, as dire warnings of the future that may lie ahead.
