Andrea Salinas

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, pressed U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz during a House hearing Wednesday over the Trump administration’s reorganization of the agency, arguing that staffing cuts and employee relocations could undermine wildfire preparedness as another severe fire season unfolds across Oregon and much of the western United States. The questioning comes after the Forest Service announced plans earlier this year to close its Portland office in favor of a new Salem facility and consolidate the Pacific Northwest Research Station in Portland, along with seven other regional research stations, into a single hub in Colorado. Salinas said she has heard concerns from constituents and Forest Service employees that the sweeping restructuring, which has coincided with significant staffing losses across the agency, could result in the loss of institutional knowledge and weaken wildfire preparedness in the years ahead. [To access the full story an Oregonian subscription may be required]