@jackdolan.bsky.social

Almost every time I fly over CA, I look down and see big columns of smoke nobody seems too concerned about. Had no idea how intense, and carefully planned, a "prescribed burn" is until I joined a crew and picked up a drip torch. The story is ok, the Josh Edelson photos are amazing.

We set a big chunk of California wilderness on fire. You're welcome

California authorities say the sweeping DOGE staffing cuts at the U.S. Forest Service will mean fewer prescribed burns leading into this year's wildfire season. Here's why that scares them.

latimes.com

In recent months, a number of Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese immigrants have been told that deportation orders that had been stayed — in some cases for decades — are now being enforced as the Trump administration seeks to increase the number of deportations. By @melissagomez.bsky.social:

Southeast Asians in L.A. region are being detained, deported at routine ICE check-ins

A growing number of Southeast Asian immigrants whose deportation orders have been on indefinite hold are being detained, and in some cases, deported after showing up for routine check-ins with immigra...

latimes.com

Been enjoying @chrisdangelo.bsky.social's new newsletter, Public Domain. Important story on the Republican Party's continued efforts to take public lands out of public lands, for the benefit of oil, gas and other extractive industries: www.publicdomain.media/p/trump-gop-...

Trump's GOP Trifecta Revives Failed Land Grab. This Time It’s A Multi-Pronged Attack.

Republicans are working to mainstream support for pawning off federal public lands — a wildly unpopular idea.

publicdomain.media

News of the record was posted on the agency’s website, but with none of the usual celebratory fanfare. Instead, it was more of a cautious whisper, indicative of the general mood in the federal workforce these days. "Everybody's just scared."

National park visits hit record high last year, agency reports as it endures deep cuts

Nearly 332 million people visited America's national parks last year, a record high. That popularity hasn't shielded the agency from the Elon Musk team's purge of the federal workforce.

latimes.com

Amid staff cuts and budget chaos, more than 700 national park employees have taken a buyout. That brings to at least 1,700 the number of year-round permanent staff members that the service has lost this month. The number equates to roughly 9% of the agency’s workforce. @jackdolan.bsky.social

Amid staff cuts and budget chaos, more than 700 national park employees take buyout

The buyouts and the Feb. 14 firing of probationary employees has cost the National Park Service at least 1,700 permanent staff members this month, roughly 9% of its workforce.

latimes.com