Nearly 50 outdoor and environmental groups are asking the federal government to exempt snow and water supply forecasters from proposed layoffs.
The letter sent to Aubrey Bettencourt, chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, was signed by groups including Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, Bogus Basin and the Sawtooth Avalanche Center.
Signatories said they’re worried any cuts to the agency’s SNOTEL network could endanger public safety and harm outdoor recreation and western communities.
SNOTEL collects hourly snowpack and weather data from 900 sites in the western U.S. and Alaska.
“...50% of the avalanche forecasting centers in the United States rely on SNOTEL data as their sole source of snowpack and weather information,” the letter states.
River recreationists, like rafters and kayakers, use the data to tell when water levels are too high or too low for clients based on their skill levels.
Aaron Lieberman, who heads the Idaho Outfitters and Guides association, said his members also use SNOTEL and other tools to predict how busy – or how long – their seasons might be.
“That influences how much you spend on marketing and where you’re marketing those opportunities to whom and how much you invest, reinvest in that section of your gear inventory,” Lieberman said.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported last month the federal agency’s Portland office monitoring Northwest SNOTEL sites lost more than half its staff in the recent nationwide purge.
The letter states probationary employees laid off in February must be rehired for 45 days, but that it’s unclear whether staff can be retained in the long-term.
Recent upgrades to SNOTEL stations, they said, have improved their accuracy.
“These upgrades were made with the expectation that the program would be fully staffed and that stations could be fully maintained,” according to the letter.
A request for comment from the USDA, which oversees the NRCS, wasn’t immediately returned.
Copyright 2025 Boise State Public Radio
