Rapid Readout: Implications of the U.S. Forest Service Reorganization
From Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) by Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)
May 15, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 48
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of the U.S. Forest Service's reorganization and its impact on climate-related research and wildfire management.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a Rapid Readout about the recently announced reorganization and restructuring of the U.S. Forest Service. Housed within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Forest Service manages nearly 200 million acres of federal land, mostly in western states. Because the service’s focus is primarily on the West, the Administration is proposing to move the agency’s headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah. It also intends to reorganize staff into state hubs and eliminate 57 research labs. The Rapid Readout explored how these changes could impact decades of science, including key climate-related forest research. The session also covered the implications of the reorganization on both wildfire preparedness and response and annual budget and appropriation conversations.
People in this episode
Host: Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)
Topics covered
- U.S. Forest Service
- reorganization
- climate research
- wildfire preparedness
- federal land management
Keywords
- U.S. Forest Service
- reorganization
- climate research
- wildfire preparedness
- federal land
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Places: Salt Lake City, Utah, Washington, D.C.
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