Public Land Employees Laid-off: 5 Things You Can Do to Help

If you are a packrafter or an outdoorsman of any stripe, you will almost certainly see the effects of public land employee lay-offs this summer. There have been some big cuts and partial reversals so while it's hard to say how many National Park and Forest Service employees will be around this summer, it is likely to be less than there were last year. So what can you (as a public land outdoorsperson) do about it? Here are 5 ideas: 

 1. Reach out to those public land employees you know (regardless of current employment status) and let them know they are appreciated and offer any help you are willing to give them. 

 2. Consider volunteering to pick up the inevitable slack that the lack of public employees will lead to this summer. This could be through a non-profit that does trail clearing (in Montana check out the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation) or you could even initiate it on your own. Take a day, some friends, some tools and clear a trail or clean some bathrooms! (Obviously follow all the rules you're aware of...no chainsaws in Wilderness, etc.) 

 3. Consider donating, or at least buying something from the shop of an organization that will be filling in some of the holes left by public land empoyees- Again, in Montana check out the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation but also conservation groups like the Flathead Rivers Alliance! 

 4. Do what you can to sway public opinion in your sphere of influence to put pressure on elected officials: letters to the editor, blog posts, social media, etc. I think the key here is tone! Finding some common ground will go a long way. IE- "While I fully agree there is a lot of waste in federal government, ....." I think this will help people actually listen and hopefully they won't write you off before they've heard your point. 

 5. Write your congressman and senators (especially if they are Republican). Here's an easy link to find them. Write them as often as possible but with a respectful tone and probably similar tacticts to the one above. Please reach out with any other ideas, especially ideas for groups to donate to/volunteer with!