The Trump administration announced plans to move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters from Washington D.C. to Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of a broader effort to decentralize federal agencies and bring them closer to the regions they oversee.
Key Takeaways
President Trump's administration is relocating the U.S. Forest Service headquarters from Washington D.C. to Salt Lake City as part of an organizational overhaul that includes shuttering research facilities in 31 states and concentrating resources in the West.
- The move will bring leaders closer to the landscapes they manage and the people who depend on them, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
- About 260 Forest Service positions currently located in Washington are expected to relocate, while 130 workers will stay put.
- Environmental groups view the move as a precursor to the agency's dismantling and predict it will lead to less access to public forests and threats to wildlife habitat, clean water, and air.
- The Forest Service said it did not yet know how many workers in regional offices will need to relocate or if the transition would involve layoffs.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that the move will improve decision-making, cut costs, and strengthen hiring by positioning leaders closer to the landscapes they manage. The shift is expected to be completed by summer 2027, according to The Los Angeles Times. About 260 Forest Service positions currently located in Washington are expected to relocate, while 130 workers will stay put.
The reorganization involves shutting down research facilities in 31 states and consolidating them into a single location at Fort Collins, Colorado. The agency will adopt a state-based structure with fifteen directors overseeing operations nationwide, managing forest supervisors, setting priorities, and coordinating with state, tribal, and local partners.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, celebrated the move as 'a big win for Utah and the West,' noting that nearly 90% of Forest Service lands are west of the Mississippi. However, environmental groups have expressed concerns about the impact on public forests and wildlife habitat.
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