As western states face drought, record-low snowpack, and above normal fire potential, a new analysis from Prospect Partners and Hawk Eye Strategies reveals that the elimination of 300,000 federal jobs in 2025 included front-line staff engaged in public land management, rangeland conservation, outdoor recreation, wildfire preparedness and response, and water resource planning.  Western states now rank among the top ten for public land agency job losses, compromising defenses in local communities.

For the first time, the public has access to federal data showing how decisions made in Washington undermined the health and resilience of public lands and local communities to the threats posed by insects, disease, drought and wildfire. Prospect Partners and Hawk Eye Strategies have developed fact sheets highlighting local impact in six states:

America’s public lands—our national forests, parks, wildlife refuges, and rangelands—are the source of drinking water for millions, habitat for fish and wildlife, grazing land for ranchers, and the economic lifeblood of rural communities. The staff in our parks and public lands are essential to ensuring these places remain safe, accessible, and well-managed. Western states have lost mission critical jobs impacting public land management, rangeland conservation, outdoor recreation, wildfire preparedness and response, and water resource planning.

Across six western states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Nevada – nearly 6,000 federal public lands jobs were lost in 2025. Cuts hit park rangers, hydrologists, wildlife managers, and emergency dispatchers who manage forests, parks, and watersheds and keep them safe and accessible. Colorado alone lost 1,753 jobs, ranking first in the nation. California followed with 1,540 jobs lost.

Click below to see how DOGE cuts have impacted the public lands workforce in each county in these six Western states:

Arizona | California | Colorado | Montana | New Mexico | Nevada