The White House shot down the idea that President Donald Trump issued an order to dismantle the Forest Service, which is being relocated from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City.
Hatch Magazine, a publication primarily covering fly fishing, published an article last Thursday that said the Agriculture Department headquarters was being effectively dismantled and that scientific research was being quashed by the Trump administration.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris’s rebranded account amplified the report, prompting the White House to respond.
“More lies from these losers,” the Rapid Response 47 account posted on X on Thursday afternoon.
“[The Forest Service] is moving its headquarters from D.C. to Salt Lake City — a new state-based model that brings leadership closer to the field, considering ~90% of Forest Service lands are in the Western U.S.,” the post read. “Better mission delivery. More efficient. Win-win.”
With the move to state offices, the Forest Service is shutting down all nine regional offices and closing more than 50 research and development stations in over 30 states.
As part of the restructuring plan, which the Agriculture Department announced late last month, the agency will have 15 state directors to oversee its operations and will establish a central research and development hub in Fort Collins, Colorado. The changes are expected to be finalized by summer 2027 as part of a multi-phase transition.
The agency released a statement rejecting claims about its reorganization.
“The reorganization does not eliminate scientific positions, cancel research programs, or reduce our national research footprint,” the Forest Service said. “In many locations, ‘closure’ refers only to individual buildings currently housing small teams. Staff and programs will continue their work, relocated into fewer facilities while maintaining research presence across the country.”
The Hatch article was written by conservationist Jim Pattiz, who argued that independent ecological research would be “destroyed” if the Trump administration gets its way.
Pattiz also wrote that the 15 state-based directors would be “political appointees” serving the interests of the Republican administration. The Forest Service pushed back on this point.
“State directors will be filled exclusively by career federal employees,” the agency said. “These positions are being created to bring leadership closer to the work and ensure the right span of control over forests and programs. They include the same line authority needed to operate effectively, and those authorities are not being diminished.”
On social media, USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden excoriated the fly-fishing magazine for publishing the story.
“That they got such basic facts wrong — such as claiming that career positions would be staffed by political appointees — tells you the value of the rest of the ‘article,'” he wrote at the end of a lengthy thread. “They are wasting paper spreading their latest batch of lies.”
TRUMP TO MOVE FOREST SERVICE HQ TO UTAH AND CLOSE RESEARCH SITES IN 31 STATES
Several research facilities in California cities — Anderson, Fresno, Chico, Fort Bragg, Mt. Shasta, and Hat Creek — are in the process of closing, fueling concerns that the agency’s restructuring may impact firefighting capabilities in the state. Wildfire season in Southern California typically starts in April or May.
As for the new headquarters location, Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) welcomed the move, as nearly 90% of the Forest Service’s lands are west of the Mississippi River.
