Key Takeaways
- •Tom Schultz (Chief, United States Forest Service) announced a major reorganization moving headquarters to Salt Lake City to address a $750 million budget shortfall and decentralize decision-making.
- •Schultz testified that active management is essential as forests die faster than they grow, while detailing plans to hire over 9,000 firefighters for a potentially severe season.
- •Rep. Pingree (D, ME-1) pressed Schultz on the elimination of state and private forestry programs, arguing that states like Maine cannot afford to absorb these federal responsibilities.
- •Republicans supported shifting resources closer to western forests, while Democrats criticized the proposed closure of dozens of research stations and the lack of transparency regarding staffing changes.
- •A feasibility study on consolidating wildland fire management under the Department of Interior is due this fall, which Rep. Simpson (R, ID-2) said is necessary before approving the move.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The hearing examined the Forest Service’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request and a sweeping organizational restructuring plan designed to address a $750 million budget shortfall. Central to the discussion were the proposed relocation of the agency’s headquarters to Salt Lake City, the elimination of several state and private forestry programs, and a controversial plan to transfer wildland fire management responsibilities to the Department of the Interior. The session highlighted the tension between the administration’s drive for fiscal discipline and congressional concerns regarding the loss of federal expertise and the shifting of financial burdens to state governments.
Key Testimony & Policy
Chief Tom Schultz (Chief, United States Forest Service) testified that the agency must "return to fundamentals" to address a significant fiscal imbalance caused by the expiration of one-time funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The FY 2027 budget proposes a major reorganization that would move the agency’s headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah, to place leadership closer to the 193 million acres of National Forest System lands. Schultz detailed a shift toward a "state-based model" intended to eliminate middle management layers, specifically targeting the closure of three of the nine regional offices (Portland, Atlanta, and Milwaukee) and the potential closure of 57 of the agency’s 130 research sites.
A major policy shift discussed was the proposed unification of federal fire suppression efforts into a new "U.S. Wildland Fire Service" under the Department of the Interior (DOI). This move would transfer the Forest Service’s wildland fire management appropriations and activities to the DOI, theoretically allowing the Forest Service to focus on its core mission of land stewardship. Additionally, the budget request seeks to zero out funding for State and Private Forestry programs, including State Fire Assistance and Volunteer Fire Assistance. Schultz argued that states have developed sufficient expertise to manage these programs independently, characterizing the historical federal role as "paternalistic." To bolster active management, the budget proposes increasing timber sales and raising grazing fees by approximately $4 million to reinvest directly into National Forest System lands.
Notable Exchanges & Partisan Dynamics
Chairman Michael Simpson (R, ID-2) expressed cautious support for the reorganization, noting that moving decision-making authority to the field aligns with historical Forest Service culture. However, he questioned the timing of the fire management transfer to the DOI, pointing out that a congressionally mandated feasibility study on the move will not be completed until Fall 2026. He argued it would be premature to approve the transfer before the study's results are available.
Ranking Member Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) and Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-4) voiced sharp opposition to the elimination of state and private forestry grants and research programs. Rep. Pingree challenged the assumption that states like Maine have the capacity to absorb the costs of programs the federal government is abandoning. Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA-9) pressed Chief Schultz on the impact of closing research stations, specifically questioning the potential loss of 800 scientist positions. Schultz clarified that while the Research and Development (R&D) budget line is zeroed out in the President’s request, the internal reorganization plan aims to retain researchers by moving them to different funding structures or co-locating them with universities, prioritizing "researchers over facilities."
Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT-1) and Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV-2) focused on the practicalities of the Western landscape. Rep. Zinke highlighted the looming threat of a severe fire season due to low snowpack levels, while Rep. Amodei questioned the logic of placing Nevada’s forest management under a regional office in New Mexico. Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2) welcomed the move of the headquarters to Salt Lake City but raised concerns that new USDA terms and conditions for state agreements might create "new inefficiencies" despite the goal of deregulation.
Organizations Mentioned
- United States Forest Service (Forest Service): The primary subject of the hearing, discussed regarding its $750 million budget shortfall and massive reorganization plan. - United States Department of the Interior (DOI): Proposed to take over all wildland fire management operations from the Forest Service to create a unified fire service. - United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): The parent department of the Forest Service, which authorized the reorganization and is seeking to shift more program costs to states. - Texas A&M Forest Service: Mentioned by Rep. Ellzey regarding the loss of $5 million in federal fire capacity funding and its impact on state wildfire response. - Bureau of Land Management (BLM): Discussed in the context of coordinating grazing regulations and mineral leasing with the Forest Service. - Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF): Cited by Rep. Amodei as an example of a state agency that lacks the resources to take over federal land management responsibilities. - National Association of State Foresters: Mentioned as having expressed formal concerns regarding new restrictive terms in federal-state forestry agreements.
What's Next
The Forest Service and DOI expect to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) in early May 2026 for the independent study on consolidating wildland fire management. The study is projected to take six months, with a completion date in the fall of 2026. Chief Schultz committed to providing the subcommittee with detailed organizational charts and staffing plans as the reorganization negotiations with labor unions progress. The subcommittee will continue to monitor the 2026 fire season, which is expected to be particularly active in the West due to significant precipitation deficits.
Transcript
Committee will come to order. Good afternoon everyone. It is an honor to welcome the 21st Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Tom Schultz. Chief Schultz, you bring a wealth of experience to your role as Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, including a number of years as Idaho Director of Lands. As Idahoans, we have both seen firsthand how catastrophic wildfires can devastate our landscapes, communities, people, and the habitats of the animals that thrive in our forests. We have also seen what preventive measures and sound management practices dramatically decrease the cost of a fire season, both in terms of taxpayer dollars and lives and property loss. As we navigate these complex issues, we must also remain firmly committed to fiscal discipline. The American people expect this government to live within its means, just as they do. That means making responsible, often difficult choices, distinguishing and prioritizing what is most important. One area where this committee has shown strong bipartisan leadership is in supporting our federal wildland firefighters. These men and women are the backbone of our wildfire response, often risking their lives under extreme and dangerous conditions. The fiscal year 2027 President's budget shifts the approach on wildland fire management and transfers the Forest Service's wildland fire management appropriations and activities to the Department of Interior. As we all know, wildfire is not just a policy issue, it is personal. And this subcommittee is dedicated to ensuring that we provide the proper resources needed to ensure the safety of our communities and public lands. From fire and fuel management to active forest restoration, recreation, and infrastructure, the demands on our public lands are increasing. Chief Schultz, your leadership comes at a critical time. I look forward to hearing how we can work together to ensure our forests remain healthy, resilient, and accessible for generations to come. Thank you for joining us today and thank you to all of those who participated in this important conversation. I look forward to a productive discussion. I would like to turn over to my ranking member Pingree for any opening statements that she might make.
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