President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 eliminates a key program for collaborative forest management.
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz told senators on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that the budget proposal was not yet final, but confirmed that states should prepare to receive zero dollars in discretionary spending for the State, Private, and Tribal Forestry program in fiscal year 2026.
The State, Private, and Tribal Forestry program reaches across the boundaries of national forests to states, Tribes, and private landowners, providing technical and financial assistance to help sustain the nation’s forests and grasslands, protect communities from wildfire, and restore fire-adapted ecosystems.
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California blasted the administration for cutting state forestry spending. “Every state that I’m aware of is having a tougher budget picture to face,” he told Schultz. “The threat of fires is real. The threat of fires is growing. How does it make sense for the federal government to zero out these programs?”
How Congress and Trump are working together to drill, log, and mine virtually all public lands
In a new Westwise blog post, CWP Communications Manager Kate Groetzinger explains why the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” is anything but beautiful for public lands. Lawmakers in Congress hid incredibly destructive and unpopular favors to the coal, oil and gas, and timber industries in the budget bill, which — combined with executive actions by President Donald Trump — will put hundreds of millions of acres of publicly-owned deserts, mountains, and forests up for grabs for extraction and threaten public access. The bill also stripped hundreds of millions in funding from the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management for staffing as well as conservation and climate adaptation projects.
Quick hits
Yellowstone and Glacier national parks on track for record years
Trump move to increase coal mining in the West will worsen climate change
Utah’s bid to lead a nuclear renaissance
Trump cancels millions in ag funding for Western ranchers and farmers
Idaho legislators celebrate death of proposal to sell off public lands
Wyoming’s exploding rare earth industry attracts 21 claims from new player
Opinion: If you love the outdoors, off-roading, and public lands, police your own
Once-scarce wild turkeys show up en masse in northern Colorado
Quote of the day
Nobody in my home state… has told me, in effect, ‘Ron we gotta have the Forest Service less involved in fighting fires… But that is the net effect of your organizational plan.’”
—Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Colorado Newsline
Picture This
With over 350 miles of trails to explore, it’s a great time to take a hike! Do you have a favorite trail?
From gentle strolls to adventurous trails to the summit of mountain peaks, Rocky Mountain National Park has outdoor adventures for everyone.
Before your next hike, take time to check out the park’s trails conditions reports. It is the middle of the summer season and conditions on trails are changing rapidly, even daily and hourly. Information provided in these reports is best used as a general guide to help you know what recent conditions have been like on different trails around the park.
For conditions on most trails in RMNP, visit https://go.nps.gov/romo/trailconditions
Looking for information specific to Longs Peak or Chasm Lake? Visit https://go.nps.gov/romo/longspeakconditions
Have the NPS App downloaded on a smart device? A convenient link to these reports is available on Rocky Mountain National Park’s homepage within the NPS App. The NPS App is free and available for Android and Apple devices.
When recreating in Rocky Mountain National Park, your safety is in your hands. As always, be prepared to turn around if the weather changes or when conditions exceed your abilities.