DOGE Federal Layoffs

Federal employees from the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service were impacted by the recent round of federal layoffs by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in February 2025. About 360 USFS personnel were allegedly let go in Montana, although exact numbers are difficult to determine.

Brendan Howell, a recently terminated technician from the Bitterroot National Forest, spend four years studying wildlife biology and three years working towards a permanent position only to see his professional future evaporate in a week.

“I went into full on panic mode last Thursday,” Howell said. Howell used to work as a wild land firefighter, but does not plan to work for the federal government again, although he believes this is the intended effect of the workforce reductions.

Despite the layoffs, Glacier National Park, which typically ranks in the top 15 for national visitation, appears largely unscathed. Only three full time employees were initially terminated, according to multiple employees familiar with the matter.

Night falls on the headquarters of Glacier National Park on Saturday, February 22, 2025. Although recent federal layoffs have impacted National Park Service personnel across the country, Glacier National Park remains largely unscathed. The park alle
Headquarters of the National Park Service in Glacier National Park on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
National Park Ranger, Emily Erickson, leads a group of about 20 visitors on a guided snowshoe tour of Glacier National Park on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
Recently terminated Glacier National Park employee, Henry Rincavage, 29, poses for a portrait in Columbia Falls, Montana, on Saturday, February 22, 2025. Rincavage worked on a two year grant funded position for the National Park Service as a museum
Wildfire scars along the North Fork of the Flathead River on the western edge of Glacier National Park on Sunday, February 23, 2025.
Person standing by a river with mountains and trees in the background, holding a black rectangular object in front of their face.
Visitors walk along the frozen shores of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park on Saturday, February 22, 2025. The NPS reported approximately 3,208,754 million people visited Glacier National Park in 2024, according to preliminary data from the Nat
Mountain storms along Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park on Saturday, February 22, 2025. Glacier National Park was established as the tenth national park in 1910. The park typically ranks in the top 15 for annual visitation.
Visitors walk along the frozen shores of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park on Saturday, February 22, 2025. The NPS reported approximately 3,208,754 million people visited Glacier National Park in 2024, according to preliminary data from the Nat
Aerial views of the Northern Region Headquarters of the U.S. Forest Service in Missoula, Montana, on Friday, February 21, 2025. The USFS, which is divided into nine regions, manages about one quarter of federal lands. The Northern Region oversees si
Recently terminated U.S. Forest Service Forestry Technician, Brendan Howell, 25, poses for a portrait in his apartment in Missoula, Montana, on Friday, February 21, 2025. "I went into full on panic mode last Thursday [February 13]," Howell said. How
A U.S. Forest Service badge on Brendan Howell, 25, a recently terminated Bitterroot National Forest employee, outside of Missoula, Montana, on Friday, February 21, 2025.
Brendan Howell, 25, pulls up his termination letter from the Bitterroot National Forest in his apartment in Missoula, Montana, on Friday, February 21, 2025. Howell does not plan to work for the federal government again, although he believes this is
The moon rises outside the U.S. Forest Service Northern Region Headquarters in Missoula, Montana, on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
A person in a green jacket with a US Forest Service badge holding a black rectangular object in front of their face while standing in a snowy forest with tall trees.
Recently terminated U.S. Forest Service Forestry Technician, Brendan Howell, 25, poses for a portrait in his apartment in Missoula, Montana, on Friday, February 21, 2025. Howell spent four years studying wildlife biology and three years working towa
Greg Koniges, 38, checks in with his son Lafe Koniges, 7, after a cross country skiing fall at the Pattee Canyon National Recreation Area, which is a part of Lolo National Forest, outside of Missoula, Montana, on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
Lafe Koniges, 7, gets help putting his cross country skis on from his dad, Greg Koniges, 38, at the Pattee Canyon National Recreation Area, which is a part of Lolo National Forest, outside of Missoula, Montana, on Thursday, February 20, 2025. The U.