Summit County’s two fire protection districts are raising concern that federal staffing cuts will reduce local officials’ ability to respond to the threat of wildfires.

The Summit Fire & EMS and Red, White & Blue Fire protection districts penned a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Feb. 26 expressing “deep concern” over recent federal staffing cuts that “directly impact wildfire management efforts.”

“As frontline responders in the central mountains of Colorado, we have witnessed firsthand the invaluable collaboration between our local fire departments and federal agencies in tackling wildfires that threaten our communities and natural landscapes,” Summit Fire & EMS Chief Travis Davis and Red, White & Blue Fire Chief Jay Nelson wrote in the letter.

In February, the Trump Administration issued an executive order directing the heads of federal agencies to shrink the size of the federal workforce and to limit hiring to essential positions. The U.S. Forest Service, which falls under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, terminated an estimated 3,400 positions nationwide, including at least 100 in Colorado. Some of the federal employees President Donald Trump’s administration fired did wildfire mitigation work as part of their jobs.

The local fire chiefs are the latest to join the chorus of Colorado officials who have raised concerns that mass firings at the federal level could make state residents less safe from the risk of wildfires. In their letter, the fire chiefs note that 80% of Summit County is made up of U.S. Forest Service land and that the local economy is based on recreation and enjoyment of the natural environment.

Summit County experiences wildfires every summer. Last summer, U.S. Forest Service crews and local firefighters battled at least six small wildfires, including a one near Frisco and Interstate 70, a wildfire that sparked not far from homes in Breckenridge and two wildfires in remote areas north of Silverthorne. In 2018, the Buffalo Mountain Fire threatened hundreds of homes near Silverthorne and cost more than $2.1 million to suppress.

“A major wildfire could have a devastating effect on our lives and our livelihoods,” Davis and Nelson wrote. “It is crucial to emphasize that our local efforts are intended to complement and support the work of our federal partners, not to replace or replicate their capabilities.”

The fire chiefs urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reconsider its staffing cuts and to prioritize maintaining “robust federal support for wildfire management.” The Summit County community relies on the coordinated efforts between local and federal agencies to adequately remediate the risk of wildfires, the letter states.

“The synergy between local and federal firefighting efforts has been pivotal in safeguarding lives, property and the environment,” Davis and Nelson wrote. “Any reduction in federal support jeopardizes these collaborative efforts and compromises our ability to protect our communities from the devastating impact of wildfires.”