The Enchantments at risk: Why we must act now, and how you can help

The Enchantments area is one of the most iconic wild landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. Anyone who has been here knows that it’s special. Magical. But in 2025, this area is facing an unprecedented crisis. A critical staffing shortage in the U.S. Forest Service due to the negligent and irresponsible cuts from the Trump administration and record-breaking visitation numbers have left the area under-managed, undermining essential services, damaging fragile ecosystems, and putting both visitors and the landscape at risk.

TL;DR

• Severe staffing crisis: USFS layoffs, a $500M budget shortfall, and a hiring freeze have left just one ranger managing The Enchantments’ 150,000+ acres, leading to sanitation failures, lack of rule enforcement, and slower rescues.

• Ecosystem & safety at risk: Fragile alpine habitats are degrading, visitor safety is compromised, and Washington’s $26.5B recreation economy faces harm.

• Action needed now: Restore staffing, unlock grant funds, reverse cuts, and practice responsible outdoor stewardship while pushing lawmakers to protect public lands.

How we got here: Budget cuts, hiring freezes, and terrible policy

Not long ago, the Wenatchee River Ranger District (the team responsible for managing The Enchantments) had around 11 employees. Yes, they were already pretty understaffed for such a remote, sprawling region. These rangers maintained trails, enforced permits, managed sanitation, and kept visitors safe.

Today? Only ONE ranger is left to manage not only The Enchantments but over 150,000 acres of wilderness. This collapse in staffing stems from a combination of sweeping federal layoffs, hiring freezes, and chronic underfunding. 

On top of this, visitation to this region has increased dramatically. Between 2020 and 2024, lottery applications increased by 61.76%, totaling 16,328 additional entries over that period. We don’t have access to current visitation numbers, but in 2019, it was reported that more than 100,000 people visited The Enchantments that year. If we look at how much visitation has increased to other outdoor recreation areas, we can safely assume this number has skyrocketed in the last seven years. According to a Seattle Times article from 2023, day use in the Enchantments had spiked 164% over the last decade and now accounts for over 70% of visitors, according to the Forest Service.

Tell me why our government thinks it's a good idea to cut funding and staffing when visitation has absolutely exploded. *queue eye roll here*

What’s happened so far

• Mass layoffs and hiring freezes: Early 2025 saw federal layoffs under the second Trump administration’s reorganization policies, cutting about 3,400 U.S. Forest Service jobs nationwide (roughly 10% of the workforce). These staffing cuts we’re supplemented by any alternative support, they were just cut without any regard to the consequences.

  
  

• Seasonal hiring halted: A projected $500 million USFS budget shortfall triggered a hiring freeze, blocking seasonal roles that are vital. Even grant funding from Washington’s Recreation and Conservation Office can’t be used because of this freeze.

  
  

• Positions remain vacant: Despite all of this, USFS is struggling to fill roles after roughly 5,000 employees (roughly 15% of its workforce) quit in the past five months. Of this number, 1,800 were fire-qualified employees that left through layoffs, deferred resignation, and retirement offers.

  
  

The hiring freeze is still in effect

The original federal hiring freeze was enacted on January 20, 2025, by executive order. It prohibited filling any federal civil service vacancies or creating new positions—except for certain exemptions like national security or public safety roles.

This freeze has been extended twice:

• April 17, 2025: Extended through July 15, 2025

• July 7, 2025: Extended again through October 15, 2025

  
  

As of the publication of this article (August 2025), the freeze remains in effect and will continue at least until mid‑October unless extended further.

Future budget cuts threaten even more damage

While not yet enacted, the budget proposal for FY 2026 outlines even more major reductions:

• $800 million cut proposed from USFS operations and National Forest management funding, shifting priorities toward timber and mineral extraction.

• Overall, agencies overseeing national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, wilderness, and recreation face a potential $4 billion total reduction.

• Trump’s budget proposal would cut USFS funding by 65%, specifically gutting safety and firefighting capacity.

So, not only are we currently suffering severe consequences of previous cuts, we’re facing even more drastic cuts in the future. This has to stop.

We’re already seeing the consequences (spoiler alert: it’s bad)

The loss of 10 staff members has created an impossible workload for the lone remaining ranger. The results are alarming.

• Overflowing toilets & sanitation failures: Without staff to helicopter waste out of the 31 alpine latrines, human waste is piling up, threatening to contaminate pristine water sources. ~10,000 pounds of human waste accumulate annually in the Enchantments and must be flown out by helicopter at season’s end. On one inspection, two dozen piles of toilet paper were found on the ground, many covering human feces, along with scattered feminine hygiene products.

  
  

• Lack of permit & fire ban enforcement: With no enforcement presence, visitors have reported fireworks on July 4th, unpermitted camping, and unattended campfires—all in a high-risk fire environment.

  
  

• Compromised search & rescue response: In rugged terrain, one ranger cannot respond quickly to emergencies, putting lives at risk.

  
  

• Trash everywhere: 42 pounds of trash were removed in July 2025 alone by Enchantments Stewardship Volunteers, all carried out by hand.

Important note: If you go onto WTA trail reports or AllTrails, you will see endless reviews of this area full of people mentioning the trash situation (some screenshots below). While adequate staffing and funding can absolutely help with this, it's on all of us to practice Leave No Trace (regardless of where we are).

These failures threaten not just the visitor experience, but the health of the ecosystem itself.

• Ecological fragility: Alpine ecosystems are incredibly sensitive to human impact. Overflowing toilets can pollute water sources, unmanaged trails erode quickly, and wildlife patterns can be disrupted in ways that take decades to heal.

  
  

• Safety: Reduced staffing means fewer eyes on trail conditions, less emergency support, and diminished educational outreach—all of which compromise both safety and enjoyment.

  
  

• Outdoor recreation economy: Washington’s $26.5 billion outdoor recreation economy relies on healthy, accessible public lands. As conditions decline, so does visitation, hurting nearby communities and businesses.

  
  

This is part of a larger, nationwide problem

The crisis in The Enchantments mirrors a larger pattern: the U.S. Forest Service is operating with a 26% vacancy rate nationally, and in the Pacific Northwest, some departments approach 40% vacancies. 

Across the country:

• Trails are going uncleared

• Visitor centers are shuttered during peak season

• Ecological monitoring has been cut back

• Wilderness areas are losing the very oversight that protects them

Without systemic action, the scars will be permanent.

Volunteerism alone isn’t enough

Local organizations like the Washington Trails Association (WTA) and The Mountaineers have stepped in—clearing trails, hauling trash, and educating hikers along the way. These contributions are invaluable, but it’s not enough, and it's not sustainable.

Volunteer work can support a healthy agency—it cannot be the agency.

Volunteers lack the authority, training, and resources to manage one of the most visited wilderness areas in the state. Without professional rangers, enforcement, safety, and long-term ecological health will suffer.

The legislative path forward

Saving The Enchantments requires political will and long-term funding, not just short-term fixes. Here’s what needs to happen:

1. Restore and expand federal staffing: Representative Kim Schrier has already called for the USDA and USFS to restore lost positions, emphasizing the safety, sanitation, and environmental risks posed by the current situation.

   
   

2. Unlock state and grant funds: Allow federal agencies to use state-awarded grants for seasonal hires, even during hiring freezes.

   
   

3. Reverse past cuts and protect positions: Reinstate seasonal wilderness roles and protect them from future budget swings.

   
   

4. Build resilient staffing structures: Create funding models that insulate critical positions from political and budgetary changes.

   
   

5. Consider temporary closure to day use: I hate to suggest it, but until our government can help us protect these areas, we might need to just close access for a bit. The Enchantments require a permit via lottery for camping and backpacking, but day use is open to anyone. It might be wise to restrict that for a while until this area can recover or until more funding comes through.

   
   

What we can do right now to help The Enchantments (and other understaffed areas)

You don’t have to be a policymaker to make a difference.

• Contact your representatives: Tell them you support Rep. Schrier’s call for emergency staffing restoration and Senator Patty Murray’s call for more support. Ask them to protect and invest in our public lands.

  
  

• Amplify the message: Share this story on social media, write op-eds, and tag lawmakers. Public pressure works.

  
  

• Support trail organizations: Donate to and volunteer with WTA and other groups. But also make it clear that volunteers can’t replace professionals.

  
  

• Practice responsible recreation: Follow Leave No Trace principles, pack out all waste, avoid high-traffic times, and tread lightly to reduce strain on fragile systems. Participate in digital Leave No Trace as well—stop posting photos and videos of this area without also sharing ways to help protect it.

  
  

While we wait for bigger policy changes, it’s on us to practice collective land stewardship. The outdoors are not our “playground” to run around and exploit. Nature deserves our respect and our care. If you can’t respect this area, don’t visit. I know that sounds harsh, but I really mean it. Call it tough love.

The Enchantments’ magic is not limitless. Without urgent, systemic action, we risk losing what makes it extraordinary.

Let’s view this crisis as an opportunity. It’s a chance to unite hikers, conservationists, businesses, and lawmakers in defending a shared treasure.

We can’t wait for collapse. We must be proactive so that future generations can stand at the shores of Colchuck Lake, watch mountain goats climb around, and feel the same sense of awe we do today.

The Enchantments deserve nothing less than our full commitment.