Local leaders in Hamilton are urging federal officials to rethink job cuts at the Bitterroot National Forest and Rocky Mountain Laboratories, two major employers in the community.
Tens of thousands of federal employees have accepted buyout offers, been placed on leave or fired as part of the Trump administration’s initiative to reduce the government workforce. , approximately 75,000 federal employees have accepted buyouts, and at least 56,230 have been laid off.
Montana has not been immune to the cuts, where, as of last year, . Earlier this year, 360 U.S. Forest Service employees across the state were laid off and then temporarily reinstated by the federal Merit Systems Protection Board.
More recently, , which is part of an effort by DOGE to eliminate 20,000 jobs from the Department of Health and Human Services, including 1,200 from the National Institutes of Health, which oversees the lab in Hamilton. The laboratory, established in 1928, employs approximately 450 people who research infectious diseases.
On April 4, all six members of the Hamilton City Council signed letters to the directors of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, urging federal leaders to proceed with caution. The letters emphasized that the Bitterroot National Forest and Rocky Mountain Laboratories provide well-paying jobs and that any job losses in such a small community would profoundly impact Hamilton.
In the letter to federal health officials, the council also expressed concerns about safety at the infectious disease lab if the workforce were reduced. In both instances, city officials conveyed their hope that the federal government would collaborate with them to ensure that any cuts made were truly warranted.
“Please note that we do not object to government actions to prevent fraud and abuse and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of government,” the six city councilors wrote. “That said, it is important that action addressing these issues occur in an informed and transparent manner. This is especially true when missteps in addressing them have the potential for safety and economic consequences for your neighbors in the Bitterroot Valley.”
During the 2024 presidential election, , which includes Hamilton, voted for Donald Trump.
Dr. Kim J. Hasenkrug, a retired scientist who spent 31 years at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, told ԹϺ that at last count, 41 people have left the facility in Hamilton over the last few months through layoffs and early retirements. He also said that the entire purchasing department had been let go, putting experiments at risk if scientists can’t get the right supplies for their work. He said even using a different type of test tube on an experiment halfway through can affect the results.
“This is causing a lot of stress and turmoil,” he said. “The whole thing is a mess.”
The letters from the city council were also sent to Montana’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. A spokesperson for Sen. Steve Daines stated that he was working with the White House to ensure personnel were in place at the U.S. Forest Service “to protect our lands and our outdoor way of life.” Daines declined to comment on the cuts made to Rocky Mountain Laboratories. A spokesperson for Sen. Tim Sheehy provided a similar statement.
“As the administration works to rein in spending, eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, and deliver government services more efficiently, Senator Sheehy is committed to working with our federal partners to ensure cost-saving measures are targeted responsibly and the critical frontline resources and services Montanans rely on are protected,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to MTFP.
Representatives for Rep. Ryan Zinke did not respond to a request for comment.
In-depth, independent reporting on the stories impacting your community from reporters who know your town.
LATEST STORIES
Republican effort to regulate courts fizzles
Of the 27 bills crafted by a select committee to “reign in the courts,” only eight remain as the Legislature nears its endpoint. Several attempts to get judicial candidates to declare a political party have died, even though that objective was cited as a priority by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte in his State of the State address. Lt. Gov Kristin Juras, a former law professor and 2014 state Supreme Court candidate, testified before the House and Senate judiciary committees in support of partisan judicial races.
Bill to refund rental application fees to unsuccessful applicants finds bipartisan support
A bill that would require property managers to refund rental application fees is advancing in the Montana Legislature. House Bill 311 rallied support from renters around the state who argued it prevents property managers from charging applicants for no tangible service, calling it one solution to combat Montana’s growing challenges with affordable living. An early draft of the legislation grouped landlords with property managers. Legislators initially tabled the bill before sponsor Rep. Kelly Kortum, D-Bozeman, revived it with a successful blast motion on the House floor in March. The Legislation bipartisan support after its resurrection.
Bill advances to end preference to nonresident landowners for big-game hunting licenses
House Bill 907 seeks to undo a program lawmakers established in 2023 that provided large nonresident landowners with up to five big game hunting licenses.