By: Alexis Alvarez, March 11, 2025
Thousands of probationary federal workers were fired across all departments under the Department of Government Efficiency, which is led by Elon Musk, in efforts to make governmental cuts, which now raises concerns from Cal Poly Pomona professors about the future of their students’ careers and the environmental impact federal firings will have. .
About 10% offrom the U.S. Forest Service federal workers and 2,300 workers at the U.S. Department of the Interior were a part of the thousands fired, according to USA Today. The U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, manages national forests and grasslands in the U.S, including 63 national parks, according to its website. Nine of those national parks are in California, which is why CPP professors are concerned about a decline in employment opportunities for students.
Rachel Blakely, a biological sciences professor, also expressed concern over cuts to probationary employees. These are workers who are new to a job, or in their first or second year, with a lack of job protection.
“When we see that all of the probationary staff in federal agencies were laid off, those include the junior staff,” Blakey said. “Those are the people that are starting their careers. That’s a whole next generation of conservation scientists, as well as other federal workers that have lost their jobs.”
The firing of thousands of experienced federal workers also adds competition to the job market, where there are already limited jobs available in these respected fields, according to Janel Ortiz, a biological science professor from the Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
According to Ortiz, she is preparing students to go into fields of environment and conservation, and there’s a possibility students will not be able to find jobs right away because of new job competition from the fired federal workers.
To help with student success, Ortiz plans to stay aware of local job opportunities and inform students to apply for jobs that are beyond what is typical in their fields, such as direct conservation work in natural resources, and beyond that would be jobs such as environmental consulting.
Firing probationary federal employees jeopardies more than the environment within the parks but the programs implemented within these lands that are also aiding in student success, according to Blakey.
Another concern is the pause on federal research grants that also provide students with career building opportunities. For instance, Blakey said there are research programs held by the National Science Foundation that offer research experience for undergraduates. The programs, according to Blakey, have repeatedly helped advance early scientist careers into research.
Furthermore, the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are adding to the lack of career possibilities and experience for students, according to Blakey.
Blakey said a grant by NASA, which is directed at minority-serving institutions, is currently pending because NASA is now deciding whether the grant is allowed under new executive orders like the DEI removals.
She said these grants are funding that pay for undergraduate research experience and students doing research for their master’s degree. It covers students’ fieldwork, equipment and wages.
With concerns about students’ future careers, professors also worry about the overall environmental impacts of the firing of the federal workers within the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior.
According to a letter coordinated by the Union of Concerned Scientist to Congress, the firings are harming the health and safety of communities and limiting their ability to conduct research in public interests like cures for cancer and food and water safety.
“To just let them go and to fire them, we’re going to lose a great deal of expertise that we need in order to maintain these important lands for future generations,” said Jill Hargis, a political science professor. “I think the damage that’s being done is happening faster than people realize, and they won’t recognize the damage that has been done until it’s too late.”
According to Blakey, the U.S. National Park Service does a lot of conservation work, and with the loss of their probationary workers, these conservation projects are now at jeopardy as well with the federal money being frozen. Scientists are not able to do their field work and monitor how these threatened species are doing within the parks.
Hargis raised the concern of oil drilling within the National Forest. She said scientists set the rules for oil drilling to help prevent extensive damage to ecosystems.
Firing individuals who have knowledge in how to sustain resources allows for easier access for people to use up resources and harm these protected areas without having experts present, according to Hargis.
Hargis said Earth is currently in its sixth mass extinction, losing 100 to 200 species every day, and losing species at this rate will have negative effects on human health and the ability to survive.
“If we reduce our biodiversity, we lose all these species,” Hargis said. “We’re all going to be easily wiped out by disease. The complexity of the planet Earth and the ecology is enormously important, and these public lands are one way we protect ourselves and the planet.”
In response, the firing of probationary federal workers were challenged by an independent federal board, which ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to temporarily reinstate close to 6,000 employees fired since Feb.13, finding reasonable grounds to believe the agency acted illegally in terminating the federal workers, according to an NPR article. These employees can return temporarily for a 45-day period, but at this time it’s unclear how many of those employees set to return are in the U.S. Forest Service.
Feature photo courtesy of Darren Loo
