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Public land stewards face new challenges in the wake of federal layoffs

Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation crew works out in the wilderness.
Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation
Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation crew works out in the wilderness.

In recent months, thousands of federal workers have been laid off, impacting many agencies across the nation, including the U.S. Forest Service and nonprofits like the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation.

For more than a decade, SBFC has worked hand-in-hand with the forest service to provide stewardship to 4 million acres of wilderness. This entails everything from maintaining trails to removing invasive species.

Without a strong workforce, though, access to these remote public lands could be in jeopardy.

Ryan Ghelfi, executive director of the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

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Hi, my name is Hannah and I’m the assistant producer for the Idaho Matters show here at BSPR. If you have a suggestion for an Idaho Matters segment, please email idahomatters@boisestate.edu.

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