Anna Tollfeldt (left) and Nola Walker hold signs of support at the community-organized walk on Feb. 14. Community members organized the show of solidarity after several U.S. Forest Service employees in the Wrangell District, including Tollfeldt, were notified they were fired last week.
Anna Tollfeldt stands alone Feb. 14 during the community's walk of support for fired U.S. Forest Service workers. About 30 people participated in the march down Front Street after a slew of firings of federal employees in Alaska were announced last week. Tollfeldt was among the workers with the Wrangell Ranger District who were fired last week.
Seven employees of the U.S. Forest Service Wrangell Ranger District were fired last week - more than one-quarter of the district's permanent staffing - as the Trump administration continues to slash the federal workforce. Further terminations in Wrangell are anticipated.
In response to the terminations and uncertainty over who's next, community members organized a walk in solidarity with Forest Service employees last Friday. About 30 to 40 people showed up to support the fired workers. They carried signs down Front Street to the soundtrack of cars and trucks honking in support.
This first batch of terminations affected those in their probationary period of service with the Forest Service. These are employees who are within their first 12 months of employment and whose job protections have not fully kicked in.
The seven employees represent 28% of the Wrangell district's permanent workforce.
Forest Service employees were informed of their termination last week and over the weekend. These notices of termination are based on unsubstantiated lies and falsehoods, according to several fired workers.
One member of the Wrangell Ranger District who got fired was informed that her termination was based on job performance. However, all of her performance reviews only reflected "exemplary performance."
The Sentinel agreed to provide anonymity to fired and current employees in an effort to protect them against potential backlash.
Another now ex-employee who was laid off last week was told that his termination was a result of inadequate job performance. This claim was vehemently refuted by the people who worked with him.
"That's how they're getting rid of us," a Forest Service employee said, "by lies."
The Trump administration, unelected official Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team had fired at least 3,400 Forest Service employees nationwide as of Monday, Feb. 17. Ninety-five employees stationed in the Tongass National Forest have been terminated, according to a source familiar with the firings.
Matt Brossard, a representative for the National Federation of Federal Employees, told the Alaska Beacon that he expects a legal process to follow the terminations.
While the legal proceedings could dispel the legality of the terminations, some ex-Forest Service employees told the Sentinel that they simply could not afford to wait around for the arbitration process. Instead, they will need to leave town and pursue employment elsewhere.
During the march down Front Street, laid-off workers took turns expressing their gratitude, not just for the show of support on Feb. 14 but for the wider Wrangell community as a whole. Others turned to social media to give thanks and to air grievances.
"Wrangell is where I want to live. It's the one community I've found in my life that truly feels like home," one fired worker wrote, "where I thought I could work hard toward something I truly care about with my heart and soul."
"Yes, there are inefficiencies in the government. I saw it firsthand," that same employee wrote on social media. "But mass canning all these passionate, hardworking, dedicated employees based on their 'performance' when they have never received a negative performance review is wrong on so many levels and is not the answer ... this is called lying."
The cuts are a part of the Trump administration's "cut the fat" approach to slashing government spending. However, federal employee salaries are only around 5% of the federal government's annual expenses, according to a January study by the Pew Research Center.
At the march, organizers handed out flyers titled: "What can you do? Make some calls!!" that encouraged participants to call their senators and representatives.
"Tell them you strongly oppose how DOGE is conducting these mass layoffs of federal workers with no congressional approval," the flyers read. "(A) lack of Forest Service employees being able to service the sites and keep them safe and usable means the sites won't remain open."
Wrangell's Forest Service workers have several responsibilities. They maintain public use cabins, recreational sites, trails and even the hot tubs up the Stikine River. They research fish and wildlife, working to ensure that future generations can enjoy sustainable salmon populations.
The Forest Service also played a crucial role in search and rescue efforts after the deadly landslide that hit Wrangell in 2023.
Recently, Forest Service workers were instrumental in the harvest and transport of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree that came from Zarembo Island last year. They host the Stikine River Birding Festival every year and frequently collaborate with Wrangell schools for educational programs.
They also maintain and operate the Anan Wildlife Observatory. Described by the borough as "the crown jewel of Wrangell's draw as a tourist destination," Anan receives several thousand visitors every summer.
The Sentinel reached out to Paul Robbins, the Forest Service public affairs officer for the Tongass, for comment. He said he has been directed to send all press inquiries to the Forest Service national office.
The national office's press desk turned off their phone lines last week. Their lines were still down as of Monday, Feb. 17.
This is a developing story. The Sentinel will continue to provide ongoing coverage in next week's issue on Feb. 26.
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