Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced that Jamie Werner will join him as his guest at President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress on Tuesday, March 4th.
Werner recently served as a Program Management Specialist with the White River National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Glenwood Springs, managing complex, high-priority recreation infrastructure and restoration projects for the United States Forest Service (USFS), including developing the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument and the Sweetwater Lake management plans. Before joining the USFS last year, Werner worked for non-profits, including the National Forest Foundation (the Congressionally chartered non-profit partner of the U.S. Forest Service). She was recently awarded the Region 2 Regional Forester’s Award for her excellent work. In February, Werner was wrongfully terminated alongside thousands of other probationary employees in Colorado.
“Forest Service employees across the West are true public servants, dedicating their lives to managing our public lands to power our economy, keep our air and water clean, and protect our communities from growing wildfire risk,” said Bennet. “The decision to terminate these employees at our already understaffed land management agencies reveals a complete disregard for the importance of public lands in the West and the value of these employees’ contributions to our local communities. I will continue to call for the reinstatement of all terminated federal employees, to oppose any further reductions in force, and demand that the Trump Administration treat our public servants with the respect they deserve. I am honored Jamie will join me for the President’s Joint Address to Congress, representing the thousands of unjustly terminated federal employees.”
“I, like so many others I know, joined the Forest Service to serve the American people, to steward the public lands we all care so much about, and to contribute to the economic, physical, and mental well-being of our local communities,” said Werner. “Another major reason I wanted to join the White River National Forest was to work alongside its exemplary staff. These are dedicated, committed, passionate, intelligent people who have chosen a path of civil service, and even when facing shortfall after shortfall in staffing and funding, they continue to show up every day and find creative ways for our Forest to thrive. Even if I hadn’t been fired, it is infuriating and heartbreaking to see my colleagues essentially be told that not only does their important work not matter, but that they’re not even doing it well, and have had their lives and livelihoods upended as a result.”
Last month, the Trump Administration fired 3400 USFS staff, including at least 90 in Colorado. The terminations included positions responsible for wildfire mitigation, range and timber management, habitat conservation, outdoor recreation management, and other critical work. In response, Bennet led a letter with his Colorado colleagues in the House and Senate urging U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to reinstate the affected employees immediately. Bennet later spoke on the Senate floor about the threats of mass terminations on public lands and the rural communities that support them. Bennet also introduced an amendment to the Senate Fiscal Year 2025 budget resolution to reinstate the roughly 5,500 recently fired National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management employees. The amendment received a vote with every Republican senator voting against, except for Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).