The Trump administration has announced a significant restructuring of the US Forest Service, relocating its headquarters from Washington, DC to Salt Lake City, Utah, with the transition expected to be completed by summer 2027. This move includes the closure of 57 out of 77 research facilities across 31 states and the shutdown of all nine regional offices. Approximately 260 jobs will be relocated, while about 130 employees will remain in Washington. Critics, including environmental groups and scientists, express concern that this restructuring could mirror the previous experience of the Bureau of Land Management, which suffered a massive loss of experienced staff after its relocation to Colorado. Many fear that the same fate could befall the Forest Service, leading to a potential exodus of employees unwilling to move. The closures of research facilities threaten long-term studies on critical environmental issues such as wildfires, drought, and climate change, which could result in the loss of valuable data. Critics argue that as the western US faces increasing environmental challenges, this reorganization may create chaos for land managers and researchers, undermining efforts to maintain healthy forests. The administration maintains that the restructuring is aimed at improving efficiency, asserting that the firefighting workforce will remain unaffected.