The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a significant restructuring plan for the U.S. Forest Service, including the closure of the Pacific Northwest Region Headquarters in Portland, Oregon.
According to a memo dated July 24 from Brooke Rollins, the head of the agency, the restructuring involves closing all nine regional Forest Service offices across the nation.
The functions of these offices, including those in Portland tasked with wildfire prevention, scientific research, forestland management, and conservation, will transition over the next year to five designated hub locations: Fort Collins, Colorado; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Salt Lake City.
Additionally, the 100-year-old Pacific Northwest Research Station in Portland will also face closure, with its operations consolidated to the new hub in Fort Collins.
Rollins acknowledged in her memo that the agency would consider the ongoing fire season in its implementation of the plan.
The exact number of employees at the Northwest Region Headquarters remains unclear, as agency representatives did not provide specific figures.
However, the Pacific Northwest Research Station website indicates there are approximately 246 permanent, full-time employees, primarily scientists.
It remains uncertain whether these employees will have the option to relocate with their jobs or if layoffs will occur.
Rollins indicated that the agency is not planning a large-scale workforce reduction.
In a communication with the Capital Chronicle, a spokesperson for the Forest Service Region 6 office described Rollins’ announcement as the initial stage of the reorganization process.
The spokesperson added that while some components of the restructuring would occur within months, others would take longer to implement.
Acknowledging the challenges that could arise from these changes, the spokesperson expressed hope that affected employees would choose to stay with the agency throughout the transition to ensure continued service to the communities they serve.
Oregon’s senior U.S. Senator Ron Wyden criticized the plan, calling it “inane” and pledging to oppose it.
Wyden emphasized the geographical distance between Oregon and the new hub locations, stating that they are not as accessible for Oregonians’ needs.
He argued that this move would negatively impact the quality of life in rural Oregon.
The restructuring is part of a broader effort to reduce agency expenditures by relocating staff to cities with a lower cost of living and refocusing USDA operations to align more closely with its original mission of supporting American farming, ranching, and forestry.
Currently, about 4,600 people work at the USDA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., a figure that is set to decrease to 2,000 as employees transition to the hub cities.
The five chosen hub cities were selected based on their existing concentrations of USDA employees, lower living costs compared to D.C., and to facilitate closer proximity to communities served by the USDA while achieving savings for taxpayers.
Nationwide, the USDA employs around 100,000 individuals, with approximately 30,000 working for the U.S. Forest Service.
Rollins also noted that more than 15,300 people have departed the agency under the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program.
Despite the proposed changes, officials from the Oregon Department of Forestry have reported no recent discussions with USDA or Forest Service officials regarding this restructuring plan.
Joy Krawczyk, a spokesperson for the state forestry department, remarked that while relocating the offices would be inconvenient, it should not severely impact the collaborative efforts between the state and federal agencies.
Krawczyk noted that while in-person interactions would be less convenient without a Portland office, modern communication tools have improved coordination and collaboration.
The Oregon Department of Forestry works closely with various U.S. Forest Service ranger districts throughout the state, a relationship expected to continue despite the office closures.
Tom DeLuca, dean of Oregon State University’s College of Forestry, expressed concerns about the implications of relocating the Oregon offices for student collaboration and research projects.
He highlighted the partnerships between students and federal scientists, noting that many students who engage in studies with Forest Service staff later pursue careers within the agency.
DeLuca warned that moving these functions out of state could hinder these collaborative efforts and increase costs for Northwest foresters who rely on the technical support and ongoing research the offices provide.
He pointed out that the closure of local offices is counterintuitive to the objective of placing USDA services closer to farmers and foresters, as it diminishes their presence in the very regions where forest management is critical.
Ultimately, he argued that this centralized decision-making could undermine the specific needs of those in the forestry sector, as the main aim is to continue supporting localized forest management efforts, thereby ensuring the health of forest ecosystems.
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