From day one, this administration has sought to undermine the agencies that manage our public lands to clear obstacles for privatization, and the U.S. Forest Service has not been exempt. Thousands of workers, including wildfire staff, have been fired or pushed into resignation by harassment. Meanwhile, the White House has tried to slash the agency’s budget twice, most recently by 75%.
In yet another move that has sown chaos and confusion, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has abruptly announced the agency will be reorganized: closing dozens of offices and moving the headquarters to Utah.
The administration claims this move will “enhance operations,” but time has shown the effect of such a sudden, ill-conceived reorganization is the exact opposite. When the first Trump administration tried to reorganize and move the Bureau of Land Management headquarters to Colorado, 87% of staff chose to leave instead of relocating their families, a crippling shot the agency never recovered from.
Plus, the choice of a new headquarters in Utah is no coincidence. The state’s elected officials, led by Senator Mike Lee, have relentlessly fought to dismantle and privatize the nation’s public lands. The pattern suggests a motivation: break the agency, then discretely maneuver to transfer and privatize our national forests.
Thank you for your advocacy and support.
Sincerely,
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