Forest Service closing 23 research sites

The Forest Service is closing 23 research sites that it described as having few to no staffers as part of a broader reorganization, it announced Thursday.

Earlier this year, the agency that manages the nation’s national forests said it would shutter the facilities after reviewing a total of 64 of them.

It said that the sites it is closing had “little to no staffing” and said that employees who were working there will “transition” to locations where they can commute locally.

Tom Schultz, chief of the Forest Service, said in a press release that the closures won’t result in any required staff cuts.

“This announcement reflects our commitment to retain the staff our mission requires while responsibly reducing our facilities costs. Local facility consolidation will help us put more of our funding toward mission delivery and cutting-edge research, rather than brick and mortar we no longer need,” he said, adding that the move is expected to save the agency $8.8 million in annual lease savings and more than $8 million in deferred maintenance savings.

The announcement comes after the Forest Service previously said it would move its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, moving 260 jobs with it.