‘Recreation nightmare’ in Idaho? Forest Service job cuts could be a literal mess

On a summer day, thousands of people will drive along popular highways through Idaho’s national forests. Hundreds will float along river rapids, pitch tents at campsites or hike from a trailhead. And they’ll pass — and likely use — the vault toilets the dot the highway routes, campgrounds and day use sites.

Those toilets are maintained by federal staffers employed by the U.S. Forest Service or contractors working for the agency.

A post shared in Facebook groups and in Boise neighborhoods on NextDoor showed a Forest Service employee’s warning that conditions in the bathroom facilities near Boise could be quite unpleasant in the upcoming season thanks to job cuts. 

The staff responsible for cleaning the vault toilets — a waterless restroom with a buried receptacle to collect waste — were fired in the widespread cuts of probationary federal workers carried out by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, in February, according to shared posts. 

Though federal judges have since ordered many of the workers be rehired, it’s unclear whether the employees returned to their positions.

Feds remain quiet on Boise National Forest impact 

The posts attributed the information to an email from Boise National Forest Emmett District Ranger Butch Davis, who sent the email to a local nonprofit from a private account. 

The email refers to vault toilets along the Payette River in the Emmett Ranger District — but seasonal staff and dozens of probational employees were fired from Idaho’s national forests, fired staff and federal labor unions told news outlets across Idaho, potentially impacting facilities at campgrounds and day use sites elsewhere in the forest. 

The vault toilets along the river follow Idaho 55 and Banks-Lowman Road. They’re convenient facilities for travelers as well as for rafters on the popular stretch of the Payette. There are also multiple campsites, picnic areas and trailheads in the area. 

“The good part of this is the vaults will be pumped as myself and my colleague at work signed a contract with a local company to pump the vault toilets, and hopefully someone will be able to get up there occasionally and at least stock the toilet paper,” Davis’ email said.

Davis told the Idaho Statesman he hadn’t intended for the email to be shared publicly, and he deferred to forest officials for a statement. The Boise National Forest forwarded the Statesman’s requests for comment to the Forest Service’s national press office. The federal office responded with a statement on its “difficult decision to release about 2,000 probationary, non-firefighting employees from the Forest Service.”

“Additionally, the Forest Service remains committed to ensuring public health and safety while balancing access to recreation areas during this transitional time. Recreation services and public access are vital to local economies. It is our intent to maintain access to recreation opportunities to the greatest degree possible.” 

Employees cut at other Idaho forests included trail maintenance and facilities staff, administrators and educators, according to terminated staff who spoke with the Statesman. Officials with the Boise National Forest and the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not respond to requests for more information on job cuts in February.

Fears of ‘a recreation nightmare’ on Payette River 

Dayne Law, chapter coordinator for the Boise chapter of Team River Runner, told the Idaho Statesman that the email was originally sent to the organization, which plans rafting and other water trips for veterans with disabilities. 

Law said Davis sent the email mid-February, and Team River Runner has been unable to confirm information about facility availability or river access improvements and other planning needs with the forest since then. 

Law said usage on the Payette River — particularly on the South Fork — has increased exponentially in recent years, not just on the water but on bathroom facilities as more and more people drive along the corridor between Boise and McCall. 

In recent years, the Boise National Forest issued a plea to the public over the “disturbing” overflow of garbage at Kirkham Hot Springs, which sits along the Payette River.

“The government offices are not answering their phones,” he said. “I hope that we can create some more awareness around the problem as this could be a recreation nightmare for us on the Payette.”

Law, who is a Coast Guard veteran, said he’s understanding of creating efficiency, but skeptical that cutting positions in busy national forests will do just that. He said he worries recreators on the river could be less safe without staff enforcing life jacket laws, and amenities could be damaged by vandalism.

Law said he’s seen the boating community respond to the cuts and the email Team River Runner received by offering to fill any gaps. 

“I’ve seen email threads asking for people to step up and volunteer to clean pit toilets or to provide toilet paper, and it’s great that people want to volunteer and help out and try to find a solution, but this is not our job,” Law said. “Our taxes are paying for this kind of stuff. This is public land we’re talking about that our taxes are paying for.”