EXCLUSIVE — A bipartisan group of lawmakers is seeking ways to recruit veterans to be hired for vacant positions within federal land management agencies, according to a bill introduced in the House on Thursday.
The bill, dubbed the Hire Veterans Act, would work to hire veterans in the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management. The legislation comes in response to a staffing shortage the agencies have faced over the last decade, particularly in the Forest Service, which lawmakers say has affected its capacity to address wildfire threats.
“I’m also well aware of the challenges our federal land management agencies currently face, particularly in filling vacancies for firefighters, park rangers, and foresters,” said Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), one of the authors of the bill. “With this bill, Congress has the opportunity to both streamline
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