Why It Matters
The House Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing on the state of federal forests and the 2026 wildfire outlook on Thursday, June 4, with the Trump administration's forest management policy squarely in the crosshairs. The central tension lies between party lines; Republicans credited aggressive active management for last year's fire suppression gains, while Democrats charged that workforce cuts and reorganization have left the agency dangerously weakened heading into what forecasters warn could be a severe fire season.
The Big Picture
The hearing comes as more than 2.4 million acres have already burned this year, nearly double the 10-year average for this point in the season. The National Interagency Fire Center has forecast above-normal fire potential across large portions of the country. Against that backdrop, the Trump administration has simultaneously reorganized the U.S. Forest Service, and relocated its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah. The Fix Our Forests Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support 279-141, remains stalled in the Senate.
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI-7), the subcommittee chair, set the partisan frame early, point to the failing system that is affecting forests, firefighters, and a growing number of communities that live in threat of a catastrophic wildfire. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA-2), ranking member of the full committee, fired back, criticizing the administration for dismantling the institution altogether.
The sole witness, Tom Schultz, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, pushed back on the hazardous fuels figure. He said the agency treated 3.3 million acres last year, and that the year-over-year decline occurred primarily in the South, in Region 8, not in the fire-prone West. "When you look at the context, in terms of a five-year average, we're right in there," Schultz said.
Schultz is appearing before Congress for the third time in roughly a year, a pace that reflects both the administration's desire to demonstrate engagement and the intensity of congressional scrutiny. His reorganization, which eliminates nine regional offices in favor of 15 state directors, has drawn bipartisan skepticism. Congress refused to appropriate funds for the proposed U.S. Wildland Fire Service in the fiscal year 2026 budget and directed a study before any further action. That study's request for proposals closed June 8, with results expected in late fall.
Political Stakes
For the Administration
The political risk is plain: if a major disaster strikes this season, Democrats will point directly to the workforce reductions and reorganization as contributing factors. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Secretary issued a wildfire readiness memorandum on April 29 — a visible attempt to get ahead of that narrative.
For Democrats
Schultz offered metrics that complicate the Democratic critique. The agency's initial attack success rate in fiscal year 2025 was the strongest in 12 years. The Forest Service has hired more than 11,000 firefighters this year, up 6 percent from last year at this time, and has red-carded an additional 450 non-fire personnel. On timber, the agency exceeded its targets at 2.95 billion board feet in 2025 and is on track toward a goal of 4 billion board feet by fiscal year 2028.
The Bottom Line
The hearing record remains open for member questions through June 9, 2026. The wildfire agency consolidation study is expected to report in late fall or early winter, setting up a potential fight in the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process. The Fix Our Forests Act remains the central legislative vehicle, with both Tiffany and Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4) pressing the Senate to act before the fire season peaks.
With over 112 million acres of national forest at high or very high wildfire risk and the 2026 season already running hot, the fight over who gets credit or blame for the Forest Service's condition is only going to intensify.