U.S. Forest Service will shut down majority of CA research stations
San Francisco Chronicle • • nation
Key Points:
- The Trump administration plans to close six of eight U.S. Forest Service research facilities in California as part of a nationwide shutdown of 57 out of 77 facilities and relocate the agency’s headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City.
- Only two California research facilities in Placerville and Riverside will remain open, raising concerns about the state’s ability to manage increasing wildfire and drought threats amid record warm winter temperatures and rapid snowpack loss.
- Employees worry the reorganization could lead to the departure of many leading scientists, recalling similar staff losses during the previous administration's relocation of the Bureau of Land Management headquarters.
- The Forest Service has already experienced significant staff reductions, losing 5,860 employees in early 2025 due to cuts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
- Agency head Tom Schultz emphasized that the consolidation aims to improve organizational efficiency without diminishing the agency’s century-long tradition of world-class forest research, which includes studies on endangered species and ecosystem management.
