Every Colorado resident who has hiked a trail, fished a river on public land, or camped in a national forest has had their experience shaped by the federal workers who manage those 20 million acres. This summer, far fewer of those workers are out there.

An analysis of federal workforce data by consulting firms Prospect Partners and Hawk Eye Strategies — composed of former government officials — found that nearly 6,000 federal public lands jobs were lost across six western states in 2025. Colorado absorbed the deepest cut of all of them.

The cuts were not distributed evenly across the workforce. According to the analysis, 36% of reductions specifically targeted junior and probationary employees — the newest federal hires who handle visitor services, field operations, and emergency response. Roughly a third of Colorado's lost positions weren't eliminations at all, but relocations: field staff reassigned from regional posts to the Department of the Interior's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The White House told Denver7 that the moves were about eliminating 'bureaucratic overhead' and that fewer employees have not led to 'fewer results.' A White House spokesperson pointed to the Bureau of Land Management's approval of more than 6,106 Applications for Permits to Drill — more than were approved in the previous 15 fiscal years — as evidence of continued productivity.

Everyone was on edge about this fire season, and so to see it happening is just so sad for me and for the future of our forests.Dorian McDaniel, Colorado resident

Six Western States: Who Lost the Most

There are not enough rangers to properly manage these national parks, and there's not enough rangers to properly keep people safe in their national parks.Anonymous national park ranger

How Much Do You Know About Colorado's Public Lands Crisis?

Five questions. The answers may surprise you.

Colorado lost more public lands jobs in 2025 than any other state. How many positions were eliminated here?

• Around 500 — The actual number was more than three times that. Colorado lost 1,753 public lands positions — accounting for 26% of its entire public lands workforce in a single year.
• Around 1,000 — Close, but the real figure was significantly higher. Colorado lost 1,753 jobs — the most of any state in the country among the six western states analyzed.
• 1,753 — Correct. Colorado's 1,753 eliminated positions represent 26% of the state's public lands workforce — the steepest cut of any state in the six-state analysis.
• More than 2,500 — The number was significant but not quite that high. Colorado lost 1,753 jobs — still the most of any state in the six-state analysis.

Which type of employees were specifically targeted in 36% of Colorado's public lands cuts?

• Senior managers and directors — The cuts went in the opposite direction. The analysis found 36% of reductions targeted junior and probationary employees — the newest hires who run visitor services, field operations, and emergency response.
• Junior and probationary employees — Correct. The analysis specifically identified junior and probationary employees — the foundation of visitor services, field operations, and emergency operations — as the group bearing the largest share of cuts.
• IT and administrative staff — The analysis identified junior and probationary employees as the primary target — the people who staff visitor centers, patrol trails, and respond to emergencies.
• Scientists and researchers — The 36% figure applied specifically to junior and probationary employees — the entry-level workers who are the first responders of the public lands system.

Roughly what fraction of Colorado's lost public lands jobs were due to staff being relocated — not fired — but moved to Washington, D.C.?

• About one tenth — The relocation share was much larger. Roughly a third of Colorado's lost field positions were reassignments to the Department of the Interior's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
• About one quarter — The actual proportion was higher. Roughly a third of the jobs lost in Colorado came from moving field personnel to DOI headquarters — pulling experienced workers out of the field entirely.
• About one third — Correct. Roughly a third of Colorado's lost positions were reassignments to the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. — meaning those roles didn't disappear from the federal payroll, they disappeared from Colorado's forests and parks.
• About half — The relocation share was roughly a third — still a significant number. Those workers weren't eliminated; they were pulled out of the field and sent to DOI headquarters, leaving trails and parks short-staffed.

How many total federal public lands jobs were lost across all six western states analyzed in 2025?

• About 2,000 — The six-state total was three times larger. Almost 6,000 federal public lands jobs were lost across Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Nevada in 2025.
• About 4,000 — The actual figure was higher — almost 6,000 jobs across the six western states. Colorado alone accounted for 1,753 of those losses.
• Almost 6,000 — Correct. An analysis of federal workforce data found almost 6,000 public lands jobs were lost in 2025 across Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Nevada.
• More than 10,000 — The confirmed number was almost 6,000 across six western states. Colorado accounted for 1,753 of those — the single largest state total in the analysis.

The White House cited a specific BLM metric to argue the agency remains productive with fewer workers. What was it?

• More trail miles maintained per worker — The White House cited a different metric entirely. A White House official told Denver7 that the BLM had approved more than 6,106 Applications for Permits to Drill — more than in the previous 15 fiscal years combined.
• Fewer visitor incidents reported — The White House pointed to drilling permits, not safety metrics. A spokesperson told Denver7 the BLM approved over 6,106 Applications for Permits to Drill, more than in the prior 15 fiscal years.
• Record number of drilling permits approved — Correct. A White House official told Denver7 the BLM approved more than 6,106 Applications for Permits to Drill — a figure exceeding all approvals from the previous 15 fiscal years, used to argue fewer employees haven't meant fewer results.
• Faster wildfire response times — The White House cited drilling permit approvals, not fire response. A spokesperson told Denver7 the BLM had approved more than 6,106 drilling permits — more than in the previous 15 fiscal years combined.

The anonymous ranger Denver7 spoke with had a direct response to the White House's efficiency argument: 'They have only added more bureaucracy, more red tape, more hoops to jump through. So, this has not been efficiency at all, not even a little bit.' The ranger added that everything done at the policy level was 'possibly the complete opposite to what people on the ground level would have suggested to make the government more efficient.'

That ground-level voice comes at a personal cost. The ranger conducted the interview anonymously because speaking candidly with the press puts their job at risk. Denver7 verified their identity through two independent sources.

Claims vs. What the Data Shows

The White House says the cuts eliminated bureaucratic overhead, not frontline workers.

Verdict: mixed

The analysis found 36% of cuts specifically targeted junior and probationary employees — the people who run visitor services, field operations, and emergency response. Those are not administrative roles. However, the White House cited record drilling permit approvals as evidence that productivity has not declined.

Colorado lost more public lands jobs than any other state in the nation.

Verdict: true

The analysis of federal workforce data found Colorado lost 1,753 public lands jobs in 2025 — the highest total among the six western states studied and described in the report as the most in the nation.

Roughly a third of Colorado's job losses were simply Washington reassignments, not eliminations.

Verdict: true

The analysis found roughly a third of Colorado's lost positions were staff relocated from regional field offices to the Department of the Interior's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Those roles left Colorado's public lands regardless of how they're categorized.

Who Conducted the Analysis — and What the White House Said About Them

The workforce analysis was conducted by Prospect Partners and Hawk Eye Strategies, two consulting firms composed of former government officials. The White House, in its statement to Denver7, described the people behind the reports as 'washed-out former Biden administration staffers' and said the data was 'from last year.'

The full White House statement read in part: 'President Trump has been committed to eliminating bureaucratic overhead so that taxpayer dollars go towards what actually benefits the American people.' The statement added that the administration's 'commitment to streamlining operations has not come at the cost of retaining first responders, parks services, or energy production employees.'

A White House official separately told Denver7 that fewer BLM employees have not led to 'fewer results,' pointing to 6,106 Applications for Permits to Drill approved — more than in the previous 15 fiscal years — as evidence.

Get Involved: Public Lands Advocacy in Colorado

• Mountain Mamas: A Colorado advocacy group focused on clean air for children, a clean climate, and protecting public lands access for future generations. Dorian McDaniel, a Green Mountain Trail regular interviewed by Denver7, is a member.
• Read Denver7's Full Public Lands Coverage: Denver7 continues to investigate the on-the-ground impacts of federal workforce changes on Colorado's 20 million acres of public land.

Sources & References

• Primary source: local-news — Colette Bordelon
• Prospect Partners and Hawk Eye Strategies — Analysis of federal workforce data: 6,000 public lands jobs lost across six western states in 2025; Colorado lost 1,753 — the most of any state, representing 26% of its public lands workforce