Rollins: Trump administration going ‘full-bore ahead’ on Forest Service reorganization

Agriculture Secretary Brooke reiterated Thursday the Trump administration’s commitment to major restructuring at the U.S. Forest Service despite legal hurdles.

“We are full-bore ahead in the reorganization,” Rollins said during a media call, according to The Associated Press . “We believe in it more today than we ever have — taking the USDA to our constituents, which is rural America, the Forest Service out West.”

The proposed changes include moving the agency’s headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City, closing down 23 research stations and replacing regional offices with state-run ones.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) lauded the planned move as a “big win for Utah and the west” in a statement in late March, when the administration first announced the overhaul.

“Everyone who depends on our public lands, from hikers and campers to ranchers and timber producers, will benefit from this change,” Cox said. “Moving away from a regional model to a more state-focused approach strengthens federalism and helps the Forest Service do its job more effectively.”

President Trump is also pushing to transfer the Forest Service’s fire-fighting responsibilities to Wildland Fire Service — a change that has so far been blocked by Congress.

In an Oct. 13 order , California U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria halted this reorganization amid a pending lawsuit filed by federal employee unions, environmental groups and local officials.

The plaintiffs argued the move is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to shrink the federal workforce, as many Forest Service employees would have to choose between relocating or leaving their job.

The Obama appointee wrote in his ruling last week the planned spending on reorganization activities “almost certainly” violated congressional restrictions on the agency’s funds.

“Congress did not contemplate [the Agriculture Department] using its appropriated funds to shut down offices or relocate employees,” the judge wrote. “To the contrary, Congress was actively working to restrict the agency’s ability to do so.”

The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), one of the organizations behind this lawsuit, called Chhabria’s ruling a “ welcome reprieve ” in a statement.

“The agency’s mission, along with the critical services provided by NFFE-IAM members at the U.S. Forest Service, is far too critical to be damaged by the Trump Administration,” the organization’s president, Randy Erwin, said in a statement.

“This reckless and unlawful plan threatened that mission, and we are pleased to see the court agrees,” Erwin continued. “NFFE and our partners will continue to stand up for the nonpartisan, dedicated USDA employees who keep our communities and public lands safe.”

At the end of Trump’s first term, he moved the Bureau of Land Management’s headquarters from D.C. to Grand Junction, Colorado, resulting in a large number of vacancies at the agency. The Biden administration transitioned the bureau back to the nation’s capital two years later.