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Wildfire Season Is Already Off to a Dangerous Start
The overhaul would merge 57 stations into one research organization and could move about 5,000 employees, the Forest Service said.
- The Forest Service announced plans late last month to close 57 of its 77 research stations across 31 states, merging them into a single organization in Fort Collins, Colorado, while relocating its headquarters from Washington to Salt Lake City.
- Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said the restructuring ensures research "will better align with the priorities of the administration," focusing on minerals, recreation, fire management, and "active management" of forests including timber harvests.
- Part of a larger reorganization, the transition is expected to move roughly 5,000 employees to new outposts, though the Forest Service has not disclosed expected cost savings from the closures.
- Washington State Forester George Geissler defended the Seattle station, citing its practical research for fire and forest management, while many forestry veterans fear the move will trigger inevitable staff attrition.
- The Forest Service described fears of job losses as a "myth," though former chief Mike Dombeck countered that the research arm is "one of the unsung heroes in forest management around the world.
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Rep. Pingree says Maine ‘not prepared’ for Forest Service cuts
The Manti-La Sal National Forest covers more than 1.2 million acres in the central and southeastern parts of Utah and the extreme western part of Colorado. (Photo by Danita Delimont/Getty Images)U.S. House Republicans from Western states laid out a figurative welcome mat for the U.S. Forest Service Thursday as its chief pitched plans to whittle down the agency’s budget, move its headquarters to Salt Lake City and rely more heavily on states to m…
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Total News Sources18
Leaning Left13Leaning Right0Center0Last UpdatedBias Distribution100% Left
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources lean Left
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L 100%
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