Senator Hauschild brings Impacted Constituents from Northern Minnesota to tell their Story
(ST. PAUL, Minn.) March 14, 2025 – In Thursday’s Senate Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee meeting legislators learned more about federal budget impacts on Minnesota, including direct testimony from workers who had recently been fired from the National Park Service.
“Our national parks and forests are maintained by the hardworking men and women of our U.S. Forest and National Park Service, who are essential to preserving and protecting these assets. Yet many of these men and women have now been laid off, with no regard for the work they do or the impact they have on our communities,” said Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown). “These are folks living and raising families here in Northern Minnesota, and we must continue to fight for them in whatever ways we can.”
It is estimated that federal cuts affecting the Forest Service include roughly 3,400 people, including many Minnesota-based workers.
Two of those workers testified remotely in Thursday’s hearing. Kate Severson, a former Voyageurs National Park Ranger, and Jessica Loeffler, a former Biological Science Technician at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, discussed in detail the chaotic nature of their firings, the impact these layoffs will have on programming at the parks, and the likelihood that they may need to leave Minnesota following these layoffs.
Following the first reports of layoffs affecting Minnesota-based Forest Service and National Parks Staff, Sen. Hauschild sent a letter to President Trump and Congressman Pete Stauber on February 20 calling for a reversal of these cuts. As of March 14, Sen. Hauschild has not received a response.
