If you think your voice doesn’t matter—it does. A nice view form Kelly, Wyoming. If it hits the fan in these hills, NPS climbing rangers may help bring you home.
Supporting the good people providing for our community in federally managed hills.
These are topsy-turvy days. Frankly, that is an understatement. Playing our political hand at The High Route isn’t our norm. Our bottom line is that we appreciate silent sports, respect wilderness boundaries, and treat others with dignity. That’s a very broad brushstroke. And if you are triggered by those supporting the Forest and National Park Service, maybe stop reading.
Sure, these agencies are large. And nuance comes into play regarding how effective or ineffective certain policies and/or mandates are. Yet, as backcountry skiers, riders, and sometimes climbers, we all likely emphasize self-sufficiency. But sometimes situations get out of hand. There’sThere’s a call for help. Help from federally funded search and rescue teams. And oftentimes, help responds.
In places like Denali National Park, a crux team of 12 SAR team members serves our community. Last season, six of the 12-person SAR team were seasonal employees who will lose their jobs if the current administration’s orders stand.
We are also thinking of places like Yosemite and Teton National Park, where the core mission of efficient travel through the mountains is supported by the good folks staffing backcountry offices and SAR teams (which are usually not mutually exclusive). We are friends with climbers and skiers and riders who also happen to be climbing rangers who might save our asses. Although we’d rather not call or rely on these good people, they remain an elite-level security blanket when what counts is coming home.
We’ll state it outright—cutting these jobs is symbolic in the worst way possible. We know many individuals constituting these ranks that make our parks and wilderness unequivocally better and safer when one of us hits the proverbial SOS button.
If you think your voice doesn’t matter—it does. There’s buzz that the hiring freezes, firings, and eliminations either won’t proceed or will be reversed. As a community, let’s get ahead of this buzzsaw, as harsh as that sounds. Please take some time to contact your elected officials.
Here is a nifty site that will provide emails for your U.S. Senators and Representatives; all you need to know is your Zip code.
Find Your Elected Officials Here.
Hit us up via email if you’d like a draft letter to send.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for respectfully disagreeing if you disagree.
The High Route team.
Are there any resources in terms of donations, organizations, PACs, go-fund-mes, etc. that are productive to support? Whether on the politically, or personally? I’ve written and called, but I’d like to do as much as I can to help good folks and ensure protection of our public lands!
Virtually every avy center in the US has a nonprofit “friends of” group to provide additional material support to those centers not already provided by the federal government. I’d start by reaching out to the nonprofit that assists your local avy center. The “friends of” groups work closely with their associated avy centers and would be able to advise you in ways you can provide directed assistance.
Hey Aaron, thanks for that note. This is true, centers have an affiliated nonprofits. (My local center, although, is not housed under the Forest Service.) We encourage supporting your local center. YOSAR (Yosemite) does have a “Friends” group. I’ll link below. Maybe another reader has info, for the Jenny Lake Rangers (Base for their SAR efforts in GTNP), I’m not seeing a “friends” group. The broader Grant Teton National Park Foundation might provide supplemental funding, but I am not certain.
https://www.friendsofyosar.org
Also, you can email Herr Elon directly here hr@opm.gov (this is the email he wants every federal employee to email the five things they accomplished last week, or be fired). So basically, how I read it is, that Elon wants to hear from you! Many cпасибо! hr@opm.gov feel free to share this email far and wide.
The biggest thing you can do, is to contact your elected officials and express your discontent. The Forest Service’s staff has been cut 20% so far, and if DOGE’s claims are true and they are going to cut 50% of the federal work force, there is going to be a lot more cuts coming down the pipe. Avalanche center staff will likely be affected by this as public safety was not listed in the priorities of the new administration.