Trump tells Forest Service, Interior to merge wildfire management programs

The Forest Service said no wildland firefighters were removed from their jobs as part of the Trump administration’s workforce reductions, and full-time wildland firefighters were exempted from the DRP. But about 1,400 employees with “red cards” — or those who are qualified wildland firefighters despite it not being their main job title — voluntarily left the Forest Service in the past few months by opting into the DRP.

The agency is now attempting to recall those 1,400 employees as wildfire season ramps up across the country.