‘Who’s going to run the place?’: Advocates worry about Shawnee Forest’s future amid waves of federal layoffs 

By Kristin D. Borchers >>

The Shawnee National Forest spans 289,000 acres across southern Illinois. Popular destinations like Garden of the Gods, Little Grand Canyon and Pomona Natural Bridge are some of the most frequented in the Shawnee.  

But conservationists and forestry workers are concerned that the regular maintenance of the forest and its future health is in jeopardy after the Trump administration eliminated 2000 probationary employees in February.

Jean Sellar, the co-chair of the Conservation Committee at Illinois’ chapter of the Sierra Club and member of Shawnee National Forest Committee is concerned about the impact of the cuts on the forest’s health. 

“They were already understaffed. They already didn’t have enough people on board to carry out the needed maintenance and care and law enforcement and all of the other tasks that the national forest staff performs,” Sellar said. “And so losing additional employees, especially young ones with fresh ideas is really stupid. The trails won’t be managed as well, the law enforcement won’t be as available. There will be massive problems with invasive species.” 

Steve Ellis, who’s devoted his life to public lands, began his 38-year federal career in the Shawnee National Forest. Now retired and chair of the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, he monitors news about America’s forests. 

“You don’t go in there with a wrecking ball, you do it more surgically, right?” Ellis said. “So I think the question to ask now is: Who’s going to run the place?…and I don’t have an answer…I think that’s a question to ask these people making these reductions.”

The first half of Ellis’ career was spent in the field. Employees that are tasked with managing lands include the biologists, wildlife technicians and timber workers. Often, probationary employees or interns are actively maintaining sites. 

“The majority of the field work is done by the lower graded people and I know that because I was one,” Elllis said. 

A diminished workforce could ultimately affect the outlook of tourism. 

“I don’t think the next couple of years are going to be good for our federal agencies as far as visitor numbers. I saw something last night on the news that worldwide tourism to America is down, like, 18% just for January, just within the Trump administration,” said Charles Ruffner, a forestry professor at SIU. “If we build it, they will come, but if you destroy it, they’re not going to come and see that.” 

Some of the young probationary employees who were affected by the cuts, also are worried. But they aren’t speaking publicly because some who did speak publicly faced discipline.

One student who was affected by the first round of layoffs is a forestry graduate with a deep-rooted love for all things outdoors including hunting and fishing, since a young age. 

“It’s a very interesting time to be in the field of forestry,” they said. “There’s a lot of issues facing forestry as far as dealing with different issues like politics, fire management, and habitat management.” 

The student explained the best avenue people can take to advocate for the protection of public lands and their employees is by reaching out to your local politician and explaining your concerns to raise awareness.

But Rep. Mike Bost, a Republican and U.S Veteran, hasn’t been helpful. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat, suggested that workers tell their story to the press. But Duckworth’s office could not provide any assistance when asked what she had done to help workers who followed that advice and faced discipline as a result.   

Concerns of increased and unethical logging 

Some are concerned that tariffs placed on Canada’s lumber leave national forests susceptible to increased logging because of the need to make up for reductions in timber imports. However, Ruffner said harvesting timber, when done correctly, may be beneficial for the forest’s long-term health. 

“I honest to God think that much of our fire problem in this country is because we have locked up so much of our forests,” Ruffner said. “Cutting a few trees is going to be okay. It’ll grow back. It’s a natural resource, it’s sustainable. If it’s done sustainably, it could be a sustainable resource into the future.”

If ethical logging is practiced, timber sales can also support the economy, he said, and enhanced recreational opportunities. 

Selective logging involves picking and choosing which trees to harvest instead of clearing out an entire zone of land. Ellis, the retired longtime Shawnee employee, also said logging is necessary to prevent fires and for the overall health of the forest. 

“There’s organizations that try to make you think that the biggest threat to old growth forests is a chainsaw and that’s just not, that’s not the facts, not the science,” Ellis said. 

If unethical logging or clear cutting is practiced, large portions of the forest would be left in a state of devastation. This could pose a threat to the forests’ entire ecosystem. 

“I mean it starts erosion chains, it opens a pathway for invasive species. A lot of times they remove good hardwood timber that we really want to have in the forest that supports large numbers of plants and animals,” Sellar said. 

Happening again 

During Teddy Roosevlet’s presidency, he set aside what we know today as our public lands — our national forests and our national parks. Upon forfeiting lands to railroads and industrialization, he saw the need to protect America’s land. 

In 1982, then-President Ronald Reagan proposed a plan to reduce the federal deficit called “asset management.” In this plan he attempted to privatize and sell public lands to the highest bidder. As Trump attempts to reduce the national debt, concerns about the wellbeing and protection of America’s public lands grow stronger.

“This is not the first time this stuff has come around,” Ellis said. “What put an end to asset management? Millions of Americans pushed back and said ‘No, you don’t.’” 

Millions of Americans have the freedom to enjoy our public lands. Unlike National Parks, forests like the Shawnee are one of the few public lands in this country where people can come and go as they please. Whether it’s hiking, biking, fishing, or just parking to take photos, no payment is necessary. 

“Today I can drive out to the Shawnee, park my car anywhere along the road and just go for a 10-mile hike if I want, camp there overnight if I need to. And nobody needs to know, nobody cares,” Ruffner said. 

One frequent hiker and Carbonale native, Shawn Gossman, shares a deep-rooted value for the forest that lies right in southern Illinois’ back porch. 

“The Shawnee National Forest to me is home and it saved my life. Before I got into the outdoors I was on a path of self-destruction,” Gossman said. 

Gossman participates in local volunteer groups like River to River Trail Society and Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau. These groups go out to highly traveled trails and clean up trash. 

“It’s gonna depend on volunteers more than anything now,” Gossman said.