Washington — The U.S. Forest Service is closing 57 of its 77 research facilities in 31 states under a reorganization plan announced this week, threatening science that looked at how wildfires, drought, pests and global warming are putting pressure on forests. The agency plans to consolidate its research division into a centralized office in Fort Collins, Colorado, and move field researchers to locations in nearby states. But employees said they feared the move would lead many scientists to leave instead. The reorganization will also move the agency’s headquarters to Salt Lake City from Washington, affecting 260 employees. …The agency is closing six research and development facilities in California, five in Mississippi, four in Michigan and three in Utah, among others. It will also close all of its nine regional offices, which currently manage 154 national forests. Some states will have their own offices and others will be consolidated. …One senior scientist, speaking anonymously, said that the Forest Service wasn’t clear about whether the scientist’s research work would continue to get funding or where the scientist would be relocated…
Additional coverage:
- Science Adviser, by Erik Stokstad: U.S. Forest Service unveils extensive closures of research facilities
- More Than Just Parks, by Jim Pattiz: Trump Administration Orders Dismantling of the U.S. Forest Service
- KTOO, by Alix Soliman: Future of Juneau’s Forest Service lab in limbo after agency announces restructuring, closes Anchorage Forestry Lab
- Great Lakes Now: Trump administration plans closure of 4 Michigan forestry research centers
- San Francisco Chronicle in MSN: These California research stations prepare for fire risk. The Trump administration is shutting them down
- Twin Cities Pioneer Press: U.S. Forest Service to close Ely, Grand Rapids research facilities