Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding

[Obie]

A Facebook post from Springer Fyrberg, a wildlife refuge specialist with Hakalau, said all the employees who lost their jobs were in the probationary period for federal workers and do not have civil service protection.

They were hired within the last two years.

[HiloJulie]

"A Facebook post from Springer Fyrberg, a wildlife refuge specialist with Hakalau, said all the employees who lost their jobs were in the probationary period for federal workers and do not have civil service protection."

"They were hired within the last two years."

I think it's only fair to see Springer Fryberg's ENTIRE Facebook post, don't you think?

And Federal Workers are considered probationary for ONE year, of which, all of the 400 fired employees were.

Springer Fryberg's ENTIRE Facebook post:

Musk fired half our field staff today.

At 6am I was told every probationary employee in the US Fish & Wildlife Service was being fired. Over 400 of my coworkers, about 10% of the staff in a tiny bureau that protects tiny, precious populations of endangered species….and vast acreage preserved for the enjoyment of the American people.

They were fired without cause, easy pickings because, as probationary employees in their first year at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, they did not have as many protections from arbitrary firing as more senior staff. It didn’t matter that they are among the lowest paid and the hardest working people in the federal service, that they give their heart and soul, blood and sweat daily to protect Hawaii’s endangered species, protect vast expanses of forest, cultural resources, to be part of a place that hosts hundreds of bird watchers and volunteers annually. That they live apart from their families week after week, go out into freezing rain and blazing sun, lugging rolls of hogwire or chainsaws or fence posts through the forest. That they were 5 or 6 weeks away from their one year mark, if you don’t count the year or two of low-paid internships, and years of college they invested in first.

It didn’t matter that they are part of an agency that brings in more money than it spends.

But their work matters! When I was their age you couldn’t stroll along the grassy roads at Hakalau and spot an ‘akiapola’au or an ‘alawi—they were hidden deep in the forest, solitary, not flocking amid 12,000 acres of planted koa. 

Three years ago feral pigs were boldly digging up the driveway in front of the refuge cabins—this week we couldn’t find any fresh pig sign anywhere in the 1700 acre fenced unit! Two years ago these same staff, as interns, laid out our first rodent control grid, to save mama birds and their eggs from predation. A year ago our greenhouse lay in ruins. Today it is filling up with tray after tray of seedling koa, mamane, ohia…rapidly being turned over to volunteers, lovingly being planted, valiantly growing into mighty, oxygen-producing homes for wildlife, and respite for world-weary humans. Our seed banks were becoming stocked with native seeds, our hillsides stripped of pyrogenic invasive gorse…ready for the next devastating fire. Visiting school groups got to experience a legacy we owe to them—to hear the voices of Hawaiian forest birds, touch and see and smell an intact native forest. For nearly a year, we were approaching the level of staffing we needed to manage the refuge…well,…efficiently.

This summer, if you head to a national park or wildlife refuge or national forest or BLM campground and things don’t look top shape…if you have to wait in long lines or are denied a permit or find the pit toilets overflowing…don’t blame the federal workers. We were already short-staffed, under-resourced and overworked. Now we’re also heartbroken.

For those asking for ways to help: https://friendsofhakalauforest.org

[Durian Fiend]

A Facebook post from Springer Fyrberg, a wildlife refuge specialist with Hakalau, said all the employees who lost their jobs were in the probationary period for federal workers and do not have civil service protection.

They were hired within the last two years.

Not necessarily true.  Probation also applies to employees who have been recently promoted from lower positions.  

The problem I have with these firings is that there was no attempt to evaluate what positions were expendable and which were important to maintain.   As Bill Maher said, "The administration that dissects a frog with a hand grenade".

---

..Why does the future have to be grim?  Maybe the future will be better because our children of Puna won't be enslaved by our shortsighted accumulation of debt in their name.  I'm all for sending them out to tackle pigs and grouse today though. Builds character! How does one sign up for that?  Sorry for all of the questions.

I believe this is a false narrative. Cutting 25% of the federal work force would amount to about 1 percent savings in the federal budget. These are performative firings that play well with some people. 

 Of course, we should ALL be in favor of reducing the national debt. Should some jobs be cut?  Absolutely, and that probably includes some here in Hawaii. 

 BTW,  "Federal employment numbers peaked at 3.4 million in 1990 and the most recent low was in 2014, with 2.7 million."
The federal workforce was actually smaller in 2024 than it was 50 years ago, even though our nation's population has doubled.

And more to a local point, it's GORSE that needs to be eliminated, not grouse!  LOL.  It's actually a beautiful plant-from a distance. Check it out sometime, just be careful not to fall into a patch!

[HiloJulie]

 BTW, Federal employment numbers peaked at 3.4 million in 1990 and the most recent low was in 2014, with 2.7 million." The federal workforce was actually smaller in 2024 than it was 50 years ago, even though our nation's population has doubled.

Let's remember, these jobs that have been terminated are not "flipping burger" type jobs that have been lost. There isn't a pool of a few hundred people standing in line to do this work. Many of these now fired employees spent years going to higher education schools for these jobs. These are "career" jobs, in a very demanding and specific range and are not just a place to suck up a paycheck.

[Obie]

Let's back up to the beginning of this post.

"The Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden’s $2 million grant from the USDA Forestry Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program is among the funding casualties."

Here is where the grant money came from :
The USDA grant was enabled by the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $370 billion to combat climate change in 2022. Putzel said the grant was intended to ensure the more than 100-year-old garden, a federally designated community forest, could “really stand on its feet in the future because this should be here forever.”

What does growing Ulu and Kalo have to do with climate change ??
Nothing !
That's why it was cut.

[Durian Fiend]

What does growing Ulu and Kalo have to do with climate change ?? 
Nothing !
That's why it was cut.

No, that's not why.  ALL inflation reduction act funding was suspended.  I would assume that if growing those plants had something to do with climate change that would be all the MORE reason they would be cut.

[HiloJulie]

What does growing Ulu and Kalo have to do with climate change ?? 
Nothing !
That's why it was cut.

Well, wrong. And wrong.

First, the Inflation Reduction Act, was passed by Congress, signed into law by the then President, funded, grants made and it's now time to write the checks. It's the writing the check part that's been stopped. Like getting your HECO monthly bill, calling them up and saying "sorry" your funding has been cut off. Or telling the kid who weed whacks and cuts your lawn after he's all done and saying "sorry" funding for your service has been cut off.

And then, "What does growing Ulu and Kalo have to do with climate change ??" you ask?

A lot more than "Nothing !"

Combat Climate Change with ‘Ulu Agroforestry – Hawaiʻi 'Ulu Co-op

At any event, carry on!

[Punatang]

I believe this is a false narrative. Cutting 25% of the federal work force would amount to about 1 percent savings in the federal budget. These are performative firings that play well with some people. 

Thanks for the heads up on the grouse lol. I was not narrating.  Much more needs to be cut and I was not speaking just of work force reductions but I wasn't specific so your assumption is reasonable.  You are right about some performative utility in the firings. It plays well with the remaining folks in he organization who realize there is a new sheriff in town and it's time to straighten up and fly right.  Send in those emails.

[HiloJulie]

Apologies as this is Maui related and the thread is about Big Island, but the core federal funding impacts are still being felt by ALL of Hawaii:

So, the hits just keep on coming. I'm sure there are those that can justify this, and will, but tell me how this is anything near fraud, corruption or a waste of taxpayer money?

And then, what becomes the alternative?

[Obie]

"Combat Climate Change with ‘Ulu Agroforestry – Hawaiʻi 'Ulu Co-op"

You're joking I hope !