Some services will be cut back or eliminated at the Monongahela National Forest in order to help the U.S. Forest Service ramp up its firefighting budget.
The agency says its firefighting bill could reach $1.6 billion this year, so it has ordered national forests across the United States to transfer a total $400 million in unspent budget funds into an agency-wide firefighting pool.
Monongahela National Forest Supervisor Clyde Thompson says that in order to comply, forest officials are looking into reducing or eliminating some mowing, reducing the hours of operation of the two main visitor centers and closing some toilets.
A spokeswoman for the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests says no cutbacks are expected there.