U.S. Forest Service Headquarters to Relocate to Salt Lake City

Wed Apr 01 2026 02:19:25 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a controversial move, the Trump administration plans to shift the U.S. Forest Service headquarters from Washington D.C. to Salt Lake City by 2027, prompting mixed reactions from political leaders and environmental groups.

The relocation of the U.S. Forest Service headquarters to Salt Lake City is part of an organizational overhaul, aimed at putting leaders closer to the lands they manage. While some officials celebrate the move for its potential local benefits, environmental advocates warn it could threaten public land management. The agency plans to close numerous regional research facilities, centralizing resources to improve efficiency, despite concerns over reduced access to forests and impacts on wildlife.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration will move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters out of the nation’s capital to Salt Lake City as part of an organizational overhaul that involves shutting down research facilities in 31 states and concentrating resources in the West, the agency announced Tuesday.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that the move, which is expected to be completed by summer 2027, aims to bring leaders closer to the landscapes they manage and the communities that rely on them.

“Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground, where forests and communities are found — not just behind a desk in the capital,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz emphasized.

About 90% of National Forest System land is located in the West, even though Utah ranks only 11th nationwide regarding national forest coverage, with approximately 14,300 square miles (37,000 square kilometers).

Previously, Trump moved the Bureau of Land Management to Colorado during his first term, citing similar reasons but was met with a reversal by the Biden administration, which returned the headquarters back to Washington, D.C. after two years.

The Department of Agriculture has been relocating thousands of employees out of Washington over the past year as part of the push to streamline the federal workforce and enhance efficiency.

This latest move will affect approximately 260 Forest Service positions currently located in Washington, of which 130 will remain. Salt Lake City was chosen due to its lower cost of living, proximity to an international airport and family-oriented lifestyle.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox praised the decision as a win for both Utah and the Western region, while environmentalists have expressed concern that this could lead to further weakening of federal land management.

Taylor McKinnon, from the Center for Biological Diversity, criticized the move as a “bureaucratic reshuffle” that would increase corporate influence over public lands, adding that national forests should be managed from the nation’s capital.

Josh Hicks, a conservation director at The Wilderness Society, expressed fears that the reorganization could diminish access to public forests, creating harmful impacts on wildlife habitat and air and water quality.

As the country faces increased wildfires and environmental challenges, the push for reorganization has raised eyebrows from lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández highlighted the timing, as the Mountain West region is experiencing concerning climate conditions.

Despite the protests, there are those like U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy who welcome the change, believing it may lead to better responses to wildfires informed by on-the-ground realities.

Forest Service officials confirmed that there will be no changes to the operational firefighting workforce, but uncertainty remains regarding workforce relocations and possible layoffs.