‘Illegal’ forest service overhaul risks causing ‘chaos’ across US public lands, union claims

Key Points:

• The Trump administration is overhauling the US Forest Service by closing all regional offices, relocating the headquarters to Salt Lake City, consolidating research facilities, and replacing regional offices with politically appointed state directors, prompting union leaders to warn of negative impacts on public lands and agency workers.
• Union representatives accuse the administration of forcing employees to choose between relocation or resignation, describing the restructuring as chaotic and illegal under fiscal year 2026 budget provisions that prohibit such relocations and reorganizations.
• The US Forest Service has already experienced significant staffing losses and cuts under the Trump administration, with a decline in wildfire mitigation and trail maintenance activities, raising concerns about the agency’s capacity to manage public lands effectively.
• The USDA defends the restructuring as a move to improve management efficiency and bring leadership closer to the landscapes they oversee, though it has not addressed allegations of illegality or detailed the number of affected employees.
• Union leaders emphasize that pushing experienced workers out could weaken the Forest Service’s research and operational capabilities, ultimately harming the public and the stewardship of national forests.