Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Thursday, Oct. 23, that the Trump administration is pushing forward with its sweeping reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service, one week after a federal judge in California halted the plan in court.
Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Rollins left no doubt the fight is far from over. The administration has already appealed the injunction, and the push to drain the Washington swamp and move federal power closer to the people it serves continues.
What the Forest Service Reorganization Would Do
The plan, first reported by PBS.org, would move Forest Service headquarters out of Washington, D.C., and plant it in Salt Lake City, Utah. It would also shutter 23 research stations and close many regional offices, replacing them with state offices.
The move is part of a broader realignment at the Department of Agriculture covering programs for food and nutrition, rural development and other services. Officials say the overhaul will trim costs and concentrate resources in Western states, which are home to nearly 90% of national forest lands.
That is the whole point. For decades, unelected bureaucrats in Washington have made decisions about land most of them have never set foot on. This plan puts decision makers where the land and the people actually are.
Rollins: The Administration Believes in the Plan More Than Ever
"We are full-bore ahead in the reorganization," Rollins said during the call, which followed an announcement on fertilizer production. "We believe in it more today than we ever have, taking the USDA to our constituents, which is rural America, the Forest Service out West."
Her comments, reported by The Hill, echo the administration's broader promise: bring the federal government back to the citizens who fund it.
Judge Chhabria's October 13 Injunction
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of California issued an order on Oct. 13 freezing the reorganization while a lawsuit from opponents moves through the courts. The suit was brought by federal employee unions, environmental groups and local officials in states including California, Maryland and Washington.
"If implemented, the planned reorganization activities will likely put thousands of USDA employees to the choice of relocating far from their current home, often to a different state, or losing their job," Chhabria wrote.
The judge also claimed the administration "almost certainly" violated congressional restrictions by using money intended for other purposes. The administration disputes that and has appealed.
Why the Move Matters for the West
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has called the reorganization, including the new Salt Lake City headquarters, "a big win for Utah and the West." Republican lawmakers say it will ensure agency officials get more input from the people who live and work near the forests.
The administration scored a partial concession last month when it announced that 41 research facilities that faced possible closure will stay open. Nearly two dozen research stations are still slated to close.
There is precedent for this kind of move. During his first term, President Donald Trump relocated the Bureau of Land Management headquarters to Colorado for the same reasons: putting top officials closer to the public lands they oversee. The Biden administration reversed course and moved it back to Washington after two years.
Workforce Cuts and the Wildfire Question
The Forest Service workforce has been cut about 16% under Trump, from more than 39,000 employees to 33,000, according to government data. Federal employee unions argue the reorganization is a backdoor way to force deeper cuts, and the National Federation of Federal Employees says a survey of Forest Service workers showed a large majority oppose the plan and most are unwilling to relocate.
Trump also wants to strip the Forest Service of one of its most prominent jobs, fighting wildfires, and hand that responsibility to a new federal Wildland Fire Service. Congress has so far blocked that transfer.
Wildfire fighting has eaten a growing share of the Forest Service budget in recent decades, forcing officials to hunt for savings elsewhere.
Skeptics Question the Savings
Chris Iverson, who spent nearly three decades at the Forest Service before retiring from a leadership post during Trump's first term, said it is unclear how much the reorganization will actually save. He warned the changes could drain the agency of veteran personnel, including experienced wildfire hands.
Iverson also argued that eliminating regional offices in favor of state offices could give governors more sway over forest policy, particularly those pushing timber, oil and gas, and grazing interests.
"It's just going to be a closer alignment of Forest Service leadership with state government priorities," Iverson said.
For supporters of the plan, that is not a bug. It is the feature. States know their land better than a desk in Washington ever will.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Trump administration want to move Forest Service headquarters?
Officials say moving headquarters to Salt Lake City puts agency leadership closer to the rural communities and national forest lands it serves, while cutting costs.
What did the judge rule on October 13?
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria halted the reorganization while a lawsuit proceeds, writing that the plan would force thousands of USDA employees to relocate or lose their jobs. The ruling is under appeal.
How many Forest Service jobs have been cut under Trump?
The workforce has dropped about 16%, from more than 39,000 employees to 33,000, according to government data.