WYOMING — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Tuesday that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) headquarters will move from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City and undergo a structural reorganization in order to “move leadership closer to the forests and communities it serves.”
The Tuesday press release from the USDA justifies the decision by saying most of the USFS lands, partners and challenges are concentrated in the West. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins released a USFS restructuring plan last summer that would have cut the number of Forest Service regional offices by half. Instead, the USDA has stated that all regional offices will close, though some will be retained as operational service centers. Under the new state-based model, 15 state directors will be distributed across the country to act as national leaders with oversight of forest supervisors, operational priorities, and relationships with states, Tribes and other partners.
“Establishing a western headquarters in Salt Lake City and streamlining how the Forest Service is organized will position the Chief and operation leaders closer to the landscapes we manage and the people who depend on them,” Rollins said in the statement. “This includes supporting our timber growers across the country, including those in the Southeast by prioritizing a regional office and promoting policies that boost timber production, lowering costs for consumers.”
In the statement, Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden said he has been impressed with Salt Lake City’s modern facilities, international airport and “more family-focused way of life.”
When reached for comment, Bridger-Teton National Forest provided this statement from the USDA: “Today’s announcement includes no changes for Forest or district offices or their staffing. The Bridger-Teton is committed to ensuring that all operations, including wildfire readiness and response, continue without interruption. The Forest Service’s fire readiness in response remain unchanged, and our operational firefighters and aviation resources continue to support wildfire response.”
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon released a statement following the USDA announcement expressing his optimism with the changes: “Wyoming and the U.S. Forest Service share a mutual commitment to managing all or portions of eight National Forests and one National Grassland within our boundaries,” Gordon said. “I am optimistic about the opportunities this new organizational approach will bring Wyoming and the cooperative management of our state’s natural resources. Vital areas such as timber, energy development, wildlife and habitat, recreation, and livestock grazing all stand to benefit from management closer to the forests they serve.”
During President Trump’s first term, he moved the Bureau of Land Management’s headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado, in 2020. Critics warned that forcing staff to move from D.C. could result in people quitting their jobs, causing “brain drain” at the agency. President Biden reversed the move in 2021, though the Grand Junction office has been maintained as a western headquarters.
The restructuring of the USFS — including the formal elimination of regional office structures and the full transition to the state-based organizational model — will take place over the next year. According to The Hill, the move is expected to be complete by summer of 2027. This overall change to structure and headquarters is designed to simplify the chain of command, strengthen local partnerships and give field leaders greater ability to respond on the ground, per USFS. The agency is also planning to consolidate its multiple research stations into a single national research and development organization that will be headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado.
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