Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) announced today that Liz Crandall, a former United States Forest Service Ranger from Bend, OR, will be her guest at tonight’s Joint Presidential Address to Congress. Crandall, one of at least 16 Deschutes National Forest employees fired due to staffing cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), lost her job in a decision Bynum says undermines public safety and wildfire preparedness.
“I came to Congress to fight for lower costs, better jobs, and an improved quality of life for the people of Oregon,” said Bynum.
“The DOGE staffing cuts accomplish none of the above. Our communities are vulnerable to wildfires, and after the recent devastation we’ve seen across the country, the Trump Administration has responded by firing those who help keep us safe. Liz is a dedicated public servant who played a key role in wildfire prevention—her firing benefits no one. I urge the Administration to reverse this decision.”
Crandall, who spent her career working to protect forests and communities from wildfires, expressed frustration over the loss of her job and its broader consequences.
“I’m honored to be Rep. Bynum’s guest, and I look forward to hearing an explanation of how firing me and my colleagues helps anyone,” said Crandall.
“As a Field Ranger, I supported wildfire incident command, reported and extinguished abandoned campfires, and kept the public safe during fire season. Now, my livelihood has been ripped away, and I fear this will make the next fire season even more dangerous for our communities. I am asking for my reinstatement and for the guaranteed continued employment of all the public servants who work to keep us safe.”
Bynum has been a strong advocate for wildfire preparedness in Oregon, where a record-breaking 1.9 million acres burned last year alone. To address growing wildfire threats, she recently led the entire Oregon House Democratic delegation in sending a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, urging them to reconsider the federal hiring freeze and termination of employees at the United States Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
In her letter, Bynum and her colleagues called on federal agencies to exempt wildfire personnel from staffing cuts and immediately reinstate dismissed employees.
“Like many states throughout the West, Oregon faces an escalating wildfire crisis that threatens the safety of our communities and the integrity of our public lands,” the letter states.
“The Labor Day Fires of 2020 were among the most destructive in our state’s history, burning over 1.2 million acres, destroying more than 5,000 homes, and forcing 40,000 Oregonians to evacuate. With wildfires becoming more frequent and severe, the loss of trained federal personnel makes our state even more vulnerable.”
Bynum expressed deep concern over reports that the hiring freeze has led to rescinded job offers and terminations of probationary employees at USFS, NPS, and BLM. To date, at least 3,400 USFS employees, 1,000 NPS employees, and 800 BLM employees have been fired.
“The Administration has stated that public safety roles would be exempt from staffing cuts, yet firefighters and employees in fire mitigation roles have been dismissed. This is unacceptable and demands immediate action,” the letter continues.
The letter outlines the consequences of these staffing reductions, warning that fewer firefighters and mitigation crews will result in slower fire response times, inadequate prevention efforts, and increased risks to human life, property, and natural resources.
“The hiring freeze and staffing cuts harm the livelihoods of dedicated public servants and directly undermine public safety,” Bynum wrote.
“Fewer firefighters and insufficient staffing during fire season exacerbate fire response delays, prevent effective mitigation efforts, and place lives, property, and our environment at greater risk.”
The letter concludes with a call to action, urging the Administration to exempt all employees serving in firefighting, fire mitigation, and fire suppression roles from staffing cuts and immediately rehire federal employees recently dismissed from these positions.
“The safety of our communities and firefighters depends on your swift and decisive action,” Bynum wrote.
