Why It Matters
With the wildfire season already underway, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Forest Service on June 2. The Trump administration's reorganization of the agency, including a headquarters move to Salt Lake City and a shift to a state-based structure, collided head-on with Democratic concerns about workforce cuts and research facility closures at a moment of elevated fire risk.
The Big Picture
The Forest Service faces a reorganization proceeding with or without congressional input; a proposed budget that would cut state forestry programs and eliminate the agency's research and development branch; and the departure last year of more than 1,400 "red card" employees who met the training, experience, and physical fitness standards needed to work on a fireline.
The committee advanced the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA) in October 2025, and chair Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) used the hearing to press for its Senate floor vote. The administration has backed active forest management and a 25 percent increase in timber harvests under Executive Order 14225, but critics argue the budget cuts undermine those goals.
What They're Saying
- "More than 1,400 Forest Service employees with red cards departed the agency last year amid broader workforce reductions." — Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
- "We actually have 450 more red-carded personnel than we've had over the last several years." — Tom Schultz, Chief, U.S. Forest Service
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) pressed Schultz on the agency's claim that field staff would eventually backfill Michigan's 100 lost employees, while it is simultaneously proposing to close all four of the state's research facilities. "Why would you ever have an expectation of staff coming in and backfilling when you're closing all four offices in my state?" she asked. Schultz acknowledged he had not visited Michigan and agreed to do so before final decisions are made.
Sen. Adam B. Schiff (D-CA) noted that six of eight California research facilities are listed for potential closure, despite the state having the most acute wildfire risk in the country, with 22 percent of national forest acreage burned in the last five years. Schultz said he would not reduce research in California, but Schiff pushed back, noting the president's budget proposes eliminating the Forest Service's Research and Development Branch entirely.
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) bristled at Schultz's repeated assurances that no closure decisions had been made. "If the focus on reorganization is just saving money, bring back Elon Musk and DOGE, doesn't work out so well," he said. "To save a dollar, you may lose a forest."
Political Stakes
Schultz's credibility is on the line. His testimony that the agency has more red-carded firefighters than in prior years runs against Democrats' documented concern about 1,400 departures. His repeated insistence that "no determinations" have been made on facility closures rings hollow to members whose states appear on published closure lists. For the administration, a severe fire season this summer would directly implicate the workforce and budget decisions scrutinized at this hearing. For Boozman, delivering FOFA to the Senate floor is a chairmanship priority, and he has bipartisan cover since Klobuchar and several Democratic colleagues voted for it in committee.
The Other Side
Schultz says the agency has hired more than 11,000 firefighters, up 6 percent from last year, and has 450 more red-carded non-fire staff available for surge capacity. He argued the reorganization is designed to push decision-making closer to local communities, noting that under the current regional structure, a single forester oversees California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. The new state-based model would assign an individual director to each. On FOFA, Schultz said, "In the short term, that's probably the biggest impact you could have."
What's Next
The Fix Our Forests Act awaits a Senate floor vote. A congressionally directed study on the proposed transfer of Forest Service fire operations to the Department of Interior is expected to be completed around November, which Schultz indicated would precede any final decisions. The June 2 hearing record remains open for five business days.
The Bottom Line
With fire season underway, the Forest Service is defending a reorganization and budget it cannot fully explain, while asking Congress to trust that wildfire readiness has not been compromised.
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