Minnesotan rehired after losing Forest Service job in Colorado
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A Minnesotan employed with the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado has her job back a week after being laid off.
Emma Schultz who is originally from Roseville, Minn., was terminated from her position as a result of the Trump administration’s reduction in federal workers, including about 3,400 Forest Service jobs.
“I’ve poured my heart and soul into this career for a couple decades now, and I feel incredibly lucky to be in a position where I can go outdoors, be in nature,” Schultz said. “If it’s something where I don’t get to keep this job long term, I feel grateful for the time that I’ve had.”
Schultz left her job working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources about a year ago to pursue her dream job as a timber sale administrator in Durango, Colorado.
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The married mother of two said on the afternoon of Feb. 24, a supervisor notified her over the phone that she had been terminated by mistake because her job had been deemed “mission critical.”
“That’s about the sum of it,” Schultz said. “I was then sent an email that said similar stuff and was able to accept my job back by email.”
Schultz said she heard one of the reasons for the decision was because the forest industry as a whole had expressed concerns about a lack of timber staff across the nation.
“There’s a lot of rumors and information going around right now about planned reduction in force that will be sort of the next stage of folks losing their job across the government,” she said. “So, I’m cautiously optimistic but I’m not quite sure what that means for me going forward.”
As the Trump administration lays off tens of thousands of federal workers, Schultz isn’t the only federal employee to have a layoff rescinded. NPR reported that the USDA, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, as well as other federal agencies — including the Department of Energy and the Department of Health and Human Services — had been trying to reinstate some employees soon after they were terminated.
“Part of the problem is that a lot of these political appointees don’t necessarily know what these programs are or what they’re designed to do,” Nick Bednar, an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota, told NPR. He specializes in the executive branch of the federal government. “Things break almost immediately when these employees leave, and so you have to call them back.”
He also told NPR that political pressure from members of Congress — who are concerned about job cuts affecting their districts and constituents — could also be a factor.
Schultz said public lands are a way for all Americans to unite. She interprets what’s happening as a warning.
“I’m just one person and my work alone is not crucial for the residents of Minnesota and this country,” Schultz said. “However, if you add up all of the people who have lost their positions and those who may be lost in a forthcoming reduction in force, the future of our public lands begins to look uncertain.”
Correction (Feb. 27, 2025): Emma Schultz’s name was incorrectly spelled in several instances in a previous version of this story. The story has been updated.