The Trump administration is gearing up to drastically reorganize the U.S. Forest Service, consolidating the agency from nine regional offices to three and cutting additional staff, according to two people familiar with the plan.
The Forest Service’s Washington office and research arm would also face steep cuts, according to the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the plan. Previously fired probationary workers who were brought back on administrative leave to comply with a ruling will likely be refired as part of a larger reduction in workforce, the people said.
Federal agencies including USDA have issued a second chance for workers to take a deferred resignation before potentially getting fired.
The consolidation plan, which also includes merging national forests, could further strain the agency’s ability to manage the 193 million acres of land it oversees.
