The Department of Agriculture is moving the U.S. Forest Service‘s headquarters to Salt Lake City in an effort to bring the agency closer to the nation’s forests.
As part of the restructuring, the agency will also shut down over 50 research and development facilities in over 30 states, consolidating into a single central Forest Service research organization in Fort Collins, Colorado.
“Establishing a western headquarters in Salt Lake City and streamlining how the Forest Service is organized will position the Chief and operation leaders closer to the landscapes we manage and the people who depend on them,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement.
Rollins said the reorganization improves the agency’s mission of managing national forests “while saving taxpayer dollars and boosting employee recruitment.
“This is about building a Forest Service that is nimble, efficient, effective and closer to the forests and communities it serves,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said. “Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground, where forests and communities are found—not just behind a desk in the capital.”
Forests in the United States are largely concentrated in the South, the Northeast, the states surrounding the Great Lakes, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Coast. According to Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT), nearly 90% of the Forest Service’s lands lie west of the Mississippi River.
Wildfires on Forest Service lands are largely concentrated in Western states such as California.
On the same day as the Forest Service’s reorganization announcement, President Donald Trump addressed the concept of property damage from California’s wildfires and announced his administration is “looking into” possible wrongdoing by insurance companies.
“It was brought to my attention that the Insurance Companies, in particular, State Farm, have been absolutely horrible to people that have been paying them large Premiums for years, only to find that when tragedy struck, these horrendous Companies were not there to help!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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Trump said he asked Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin to organize a list of insurance companies “who acted swiftly, courageously, and bravely” in the wake of the January 2025 California wildfires and a list of those that “were particularly bad.”
“The names of some surprise me, but in the World in which we live, nothing really surprises me! State Farm, and others, should get their act together, and treat people fairly. The Government is looking into this matter as we speak!” Trump wrote.
