Tom Schultz

For too long, the Forest Service has been bogged down by excessive processes that hamper innovation. I want every employee to focus on actions that roll back this red tape. Doing so ensures critical projects are easier and faster to accomplish. I believe that the people closest to the ground know the forest best, and we should listen to what they have to say. As I stated in my FY26 priorities, deregulation is a top priority for our agency. Most would agree that our directives are overly complicated, lengthy and outdated. At my direction, the Forest Service Policy Office has developed and begun implementing a “Directives Modernization” strategy. This strategy will streamline and simplify our directives and return discretion to decision-makers in the field. This effort involves restructuring the Directives System and clarifying the purposes of its two components, the Forest Service Manual and Handbooks.