State foresters urged the Trump administration Monday to take a more cautious approach in revamping the Forest Service, voicing alarm over impacts to wildfire management and policies affecting privately owned land.
The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) said it worries that moving state, private and tribal forestry programs out of the Forest Service and into other agencies could have the opposite effect of the administration’s stated goal of making land management more efficient or effective.
While the administration hasn’t publicly said it intends such a move, agency employees have said shake-ups are being discussed as the Forest Service manages a sharp downsizing and a reassessment of its mission.
The Forest Service and Agriculture Department press offices didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a note to employees March 4 that he wants to “to refocus our efforts on safety, active forest management, fire management and recreation.”
