Tom Schultz

The head of the lead federal agency tasked with fighting wildfires said it is ready for this summer’s fire season despite shedding thousands of employees in recent months, projecting a confidence level not shared by much of his workforce. US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz acknowledged his agency has shed 4,200 through an extended paid leave program and another 600 with early retirements, though he said efforts to bring some of those employees back to work and shift others around to fill “critical positions” will ensure its readiness. USFS has all the staff it requires for fire season, Schultz told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, even as he conceded some workforce issues still require resolutions. The Forest Service has 11,000 firefighters on board, Schultz said, just below the 11,900 the agency employed last fire season. It and its federal partners have 37 incident management teams, shy of the 42 teams it had in 2024.