MISSOULA — Citing job losses, threats to public safety and general chaos, Missoula County on Tuesday signed a letter to the state's congressional delegation urging it to resolve the federal funding freeze and staff cuts implemented by the Trump administration.
Commissioners expressed concern that the new administration was acting in a reckless manner when cutting programs and jobs, placing the livelihoods of Montana's small businesses, private contractors and working families at risk.
“We are hearing frequently about the impact to conservation projects aimed at forest management and wildfire resilience, as well as individuals impacted by cuts to the federal workforce,” the letter states. “We request your assistance to quickly resume funding and restore staff positions that have been affected by federal freezes and cuts.”
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Commissioners said the ill-conceived cuts pose threats on a number of fronts. Among them, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation said it could no longer fund any U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management projects, adding that “all work under these agreements must stop immediately.”
A number of conservation and forest health projects may also be at risk, impacting the small businesses that help complete the work. That includes the Blackfoot Challenge, which has been impacted by $4.5 million in frozen federal funding, according to the county.
Just last week, the county said, it had paid $232,0000 to contractors and landowners who had already completed work, “only to fund out that the federal funding freeze denied them reimbursement.”
“These cuts impact real Montanans — small businesses and working families with equipment expenses and payroll obligations,” the county said. “They do not have cash reserves to cover the cost of being hung out to dry by the federal government, with no sound explanation or guidance as to when things might change or funding might break loose.”
Commissioner Dave Strohmaier said the county's timber industry is already on the ropes, punctuated by the recent closer of two large businesses in the wood-products industry. The impacts to the industry, coupled with federal cuts, could reduce forest management while increasing the threat of large wildfires.
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“We were just back in Washington last week and met with the congressional delegation to make sure they were aware that we have concerns about things like forest management and forest health,” Strohmaier said. “Those are all concerns when we're at a point of wanting to see an acceleration of land management work, not a scaling back.”
The county said the timing of the Trump administration's funding decisions and federal cuts couldn't have come at a worse time. The uncertainty could also hurt the local economy, they said.
“There's a general feeling of uncertainty and people can't move forward. They're in uncertain limbo, and that means progress stops,” said Commissioner Josh Slotnick.
Aside from forest management and lost jobs, the county also expressed concerns over projects that have already been awarded, including the Highway 200 corridor project in East Missoula.
“That will be a transformative project for the community, but it has not been obligated and there's no cooperative agreement signed,” Strohmaier said. “Will those dollars be clawed back? It's just more uncertainty.”
The county added that the current approach to job cuts and the funding freeze is reckless and short-sighted. In time, the county believes local communities will face “collateral harm.”
“Our communities are bearing the brunt of this detached decision-making, and we are trepidatious about unforeseen impacts that will result in the future,” the county said. “The Trump administration’s wanton approach is like performing surgery with a machete rather than a scalpel.”
