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Oh, sorry for the duplication! I didnt read the first post….but was following the story on other fronts.
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USFS dismantled by Trump admin
Re: USFS dismantled by Trump admin
That was my original link Jim.
Re: USFS dismantled by Trump admin
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Another view.
This author says it more eloquently than I did…..
https://morethanjustparks.substack.com/ ... ion-orders?
Another view.
This author says it more eloquently than I did…..
https://morethanjustparks.substack.com/ ... ion-orders?
Jim
Re: USFS dismanted by Trump admin
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I have been watching this for a while, as a former FS employee.
Thinking about this - and reading some back-ground from other sources, just published….here’s my thots;
- The FS has ALWAYS been a very de-centralized organization. There are 150 +/- National Forests (number keeps changing with consolidations). Up until now these NF’s reported to 9 Regional Offices. (Our’s here is in Portland). These are/were not small - I spent a lot of time in Portland - the offices there took up a couple floors of a large building….probably 300++ folks. Who are they? Specialists in things like endangered species, hydrology, soils, etc etc….the kind of expertise that would, typically, not be needed, or affordable, at a Forest level. Additionally, ‘business’ specialists like those involved in - especially - Contracting, and accounting, purchasing, personnel, etc worked there.
Now…those functions will be handled….at where? Some ‘service center’?
Maybe most worrisome is the closure/re-location of the Research and Development functions! Locally, there is a Research office in Wenatchee. Each Research office usually concentrated on a very specific function….these centers maintained close contact with their peers in Academia. I recall the Wenatchee office concentrated on ‘eastside’ fire recovery and timber harvest effects. It is not a small operation - I’d think 20-30 highly educated folks there.
The State and Private Forestry (and Research function) side of the FS agency ALSO was/is the MAIN interface with the various State’s Fire-fighting, Forestry research/technology transfer efforts. AND how Federal $$s were transferred to States for firefighting and other actions.
I think - ultimately - this alignment of command and control to a more ‘State - centered’ one…aligns EXACTLY with the desire of some in this administration to eventually see transfer of some/all Federally managed lands to the various States.
A sad state of affairs…
I have been watching this for a while, as a former FS employee.
Thinking about this - and reading some back-ground from other sources, just published….here’s my thots;
- The FS has ALWAYS been a very de-centralized organization. There are 150 +/- National Forests (number keeps changing with consolidations). Up until now these NF’s reported to 9 Regional Offices. (Our’s here is in Portland). These are/were not small - I spent a lot of time in Portland - the offices there took up a couple floors of a large building….probably 300++ folks. Who are they? Specialists in things like endangered species, hydrology, soils, etc etc….the kind of expertise that would, typically, not be needed, or affordable, at a Forest level. Additionally, ‘business’ specialists like those involved in - especially - Contracting, and accounting, purchasing, personnel, etc worked there.
Now…those functions will be handled….at where? Some ‘service center’?
Maybe most worrisome is the closure/re-location of the Research and Development functions! Locally, there is a Research office in Wenatchee. Each Research office usually concentrated on a very specific function….these centers maintained close contact with their peers in Academia. I recall the Wenatchee office concentrated on ‘eastside’ fire recovery and timber harvest effects. It is not a small operation - I’d think 20-30 highly educated folks there.
The State and Private Forestry (and Research function) side of the FS agency ALSO was/is the MAIN interface with the various State’s Fire-fighting, Forestry research/technology transfer efforts. AND how Federal $$s were transferred to States for firefighting and other actions.
I think - ultimately - this alignment of command and control to a more ‘State - centered’ one…aligns EXACTLY with the desire of some in this administration to eventually see transfer of some/all Federally managed lands to the various States.
A sad state of affairs…
Jim
USFS dismantled by Trump admin
Last edited by Rideback on Wed Apr 01, 2026 7:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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