The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is hiring about 2,000 seasonal workers for the summer. This comes about a year after the federal government laid off thousands, many in Wyoming.
The new seasonal hiring, which includes trail clearing, data collection and campground maintenance, opened Feb. 20 and closes March 3, a 10-day window. It does not include location specifics, but presumably is in forests across the country.
“It would have been incredibly helpful to have a little bit more time to do it, and yet we don't. So let's work with what we have,” said Peggie dePasquale, Wyoming Wilderness Association's national forest wildlands director and former USFS worker.
In past years, dePasquale said seasonal hiring had a different structure. Typically, jobs were announced in October, candidates would have a few weeks to apply in December and then job offers would roll out about a month later.
“There was a culture around it, like they [USFS] did it the same year after year,” she said.
Seasonal freezes and DOGE cuts
However, that hasn’t happened for a couple of years now. Back in fall 2024, the USFS announced it would halt seasonal hirings and shift some of those roles into permanent seasonals. Those positions functioned similarly to seasonals, but with more job security and year-round benefits.
During that time, some were concerned it would reduce USFS “boots on the ground,” like people clearing trails and interacting with visitors.
But then the situation escalated. On Feb. 14, 2025, the USFS announced thousands of lay-offs as part of the Trump administration's DOGE efforts.
“All of those seasonal positions that had recently been turned into permanent seasonals that they [USFS] said they were relying on were all eliminated in those layoffs,” dePasquale said.
About 10% of the nation’s USFS workforce was cut. The federal government communicated limited information to the media, so it was unclear how many Wyoming employees were impacted. Anecdotally, Wyoming Public Radio heard from more than 100, including current and former USFS workers.
Starting a month later, the feds attempted to rehire workers after a court blocked the firings. Wyoming Public Radio reported on some who took the offer, but felt uncertain about their job stability. But others had moved onto the private and nonprofit sectors, like dePasquale.
USFS partner organizations were concerned about what the reduced workforce meant for trail maintenance, and even public toilet facilities at campgrounds and trailheads. One non-profit hired former USFS workers to help with summer trail projects.
2025 season impacts
Even still, there was a lack of presence during the 2025 summer season. NPR reported on the lack of funding and workers for the USFS livestock program that helps bring supplies and crew to trail projects deep in the wilderness. dePasquale said 13 of the 15 wilderness areas in Wyoming didn’t have a wilderness ranger last summer, which is the point person for a USFS wilderness area. It includes duties like educating the public, clearing trails of downed trees, removing trash left from the public and monitoring campsites.
“It was the first season that we were really witnessing what it looked like to have a forest service without these boots on the ground positions,” dePasquale said. “These impacts are going to grow.”
She was worried about the upcoming summer season. But about a month ago, dePasquale heard rumblings that the USFS might hire seasonals.
The agency posted the job openings Feb. 20, saying the positions will support “public access, visitor services, and stewardship of national forests and grasslands.”
dePasquale noted the 2,000 jobs won’t replace everyone lost.
“We still have a lot of work to do to rebuild after what we lost in 2025, but this is a really important first step to getting back to a functional agency,” she said.
Tips for applying
There aren’t specific job hiring numbers released for each forest. However, dePasquale said for those interested in Wyoming, one should choose forests in the state and nearby towns as the preference in the job application.
“My suggestion is to reach out to the hiring manager for that forest and really make it clear to them, outside of USA Jobs, what it is you're hoping to get out of this career and this job application process,” dePasquale said.
The other big change is the type of resume required. Previously, dePasquale said the federal government wanted a record of “literally every experience you’ve had professionally,” which sometimes meant a 30-page resume. But now, it’s capped at two pages. Details for what needs to be included is in this Youtube video. dePasquale said following that closely is key “to ensure that you get through the algorithm and you get through USA jobs and are actually put on the list of qualified candidates for the managers to consider.”
The job application period closes March 3. The Wyoming Wilderness Association created a webpage with more tips on how to apply successfully.
