U.S. Forest Service

“Come back to work.” That’s the message from the U.S. Forest Service’s new chief, Tom Schultz, to recently-retired workers.

Eagle, Gunnison, Pitkin and Summit direct local tax dollars toward backcountry rangers who will maintain trails, douse fires and pick up trash amid surging visitation to public lands. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins and then read The Colorado Sun story at the link below.

State and federal collaboration is essential to ensure robust wildfire resilience, but uncertainty over Trump administration priorities undercuts preparedness in Colorado, experts say.

Frustration among outfitters and guides over federal permitting is not new. Recreation-focused staff and budgets at national forests, in particular, have gone down as demand has gone up. This has been resulting in lengthy delays in responses to applications.

“They have betrayed the public trust and poisoned the well,” says a wildlife advocate after the Forest Service dropped a planned wildlife study as part of the Mad Rabbit singletrack trails project. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun editor David Krause and then read The Colorado Sun story at the link below.

A decision from the Trump Administration removed about 2,000 members of the U.S. Forest Services. Now agencies that work directly with them on wildfire management say they have concerns.

The Trump administration’s mass firings of federal employees have hit McCall hard, especially because the Forest Service is one of the area’s most important employers.

The Catch-Up brings you the biggest stories and headlines from this week's KUNC newscasts. Stay up to date with all the news out of Northern Colorado.

U.S. attorneys called the Free Land Holders’ fence “unlawful,” citing the federal government’s title to the land. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with The Colorado Sun reporter Olivia Prentzel and then read The Colorado Sun story at the link below.

With an unclear budget for 2025, the Forest Service is not planning to hire seasonal workers next year and warns volunteer groups not to expect big projects. Listen to Morning Edition host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with The Colorado Sun outdoor reporter Jason Blevins.