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CARTERVILLE, Ill. (WSIL)-- Cuts to federal funding from the Trump Administration have led to impacts at the Shawnee National Forest.

Now some local groups are calling on Congressman Mike Bost for help.

Twenty nine Southern Illinois community stakeholders sent Congressman Mike Bost a letter urging him to oppose cuts to federal funding and staffing for the Shawnee National Forest and other public lands in Southern Illinois.

Amanda Pankau works with the Prairie Rivers Network. They are an environmental non-profit that works to clean up pollution and build resilient communities around places like the Shawnee National Forest in Illinois.

“We're asking him to fight to preserve the staff that protect and maintain those federal lands to ensure future funding for the National Forest and other public lands,� Pankau said.

Pankau says the funding changes could impact the area's economy.

“We know that investing in public lands, meaning investing in jobs, local businesses, entrepreneurship, and all of that together, helps boost the long-term economic health of our region,� Pankau said.

She says they are worried the possible cuts could hinder the region's growth.

“I think we've really just scratched the surface on what our region could do, and the way of outdoor tourism and the outdoor economy,� Pankau said.

Pankau says some federal staff impacted by layoffs have signed the letter too. She says while some of them have been brought back on the job, they know that more jobs could be cut again in the future.

“On March 13th, they were required to submit these plans to look at additional cuts to the workforce. So unfortunately, we're bracing for additional cuts to federal agencies, including the USDA Forest Service, which is the agency in charge of the Shawnee National Forest,� Pankau said.

News 3 reached out to Congressman Bost for a statement about the possible budget cuts.

He said in a statement:

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