The Arkansas Forestry Commission announced on December 5 the layoff of 36 workers in January due to a $4 million shortfall in its budget citing declining timber sales, the agency overseeing fire protection and conservation in the state’s forests.
State Forester John Shannon said the employees were informed on December 2 that they would be laid off effective Jan. 13. The commission’s Little Rock headquarters was hit hardest by the layoffs, with eight administrative employees let go. Other layoffs were scattered in offices around the state.
Shannon said the agency had tried to close its budget gap by keeping positions vacant and by cutting down on its operations and management budget, but said it wasn’t enough. “Despite those efforts, I cannot close the budget gap without a reduction in force,” Shannon said. “We cannot have a government in Arkansas that we cannot pay for and we cannot have more forestry commission than we can afford.”