Forest Service Will Close Research Stations That Study Wildfire Risk
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- The U.S. Forest Service is closing 57 of its 77 research facilities across 31 states as part of a reorganization plan, raising concerns about the future of research on wildfires, drought, pests, and climate change impacts on forests.
- The agency will centralize its research division in Fort Collins, Colorado, and relocate field researchers to nearby states, while moving its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, affecting 260 employees.
- Many closed facilities are located at universities and experimental forests that provide critical resources and long-term environmental monitoring, potentially disrupting studies on logging, endangered species, and forest recovery after fires.
- All nine regional offices that manage 154 national forests will be closed, with some states maintaining their own offices and others consolidated, impacting forest management oversight.
- The Forest Service, responsible for 193 million acres of forest and grasslands, has already lost 5,860 employees in early 2025 due to budget cuts and early retirement programs, intensifying concerns about the agency's capacity.
