Press Release:
Ravalli Democrats Organize Rally for Local Federal Workers
Published March 7, 2025
Local organizers, inspired by longtime Hamilton business owner Russ Lawrence, are encouraging the public to gather Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. outside the County Administrative Center, 215 South 4th Street, Hamilton, to show support for fired federal workers in Ravalli County, including Forest Service personnel and staff at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton.
The group will move inside when County Commissioners begin their regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m.
Signs will be available to help amplify our message before entering the commission meeting room for the public comment period.
The demonstration is intended to be a nonpartisan apolitical show of support for our fellow Ravalli County citizens who, through no fault of their own, find themselves unemployed because of cost-cutting measures in Washington, D.C., almost 2,500 miles removed from Western Montana.
The value of Forest Service workers in our county is unquestioned. With more than 73% of Ravalli County comprised of federal lands, these public employees perform vital tasks from trails maintenance to firefighting and forest management. The loss of even a tiny percentage of these workers is a major blow to our county.
The role of the Rocky Mountain Laboratories is probably less well known, but their work has a significant effect across the country and world.
For more information regarding the gathering, please contact Linda Schmitt at (202) 641-0033.
