On March 31 this year, a major federal-level US Forest Service reorganization was announced. Many details are still unavailable, but this will have substantial impacts on forest research & management across the nation, as well as on individual USFS employees.
Here we take a closer look at how the sweeping changes could affect the state of NH and its forests, as well as those of New England and the Northeast more broadly. There are many unknowns:
Previously announced closures of experimental forests are currently being reconsidered.
Will moving the national headquarters out of Washington DC to Salt Lake City weaken the USFS overall?
How will the switch from being organized into the traditional 9 regional headquarters to 15 state-based directorships affect New England?
Will top administrative positions now be filled through political appointments?
How reasonable can it be to separate wildfire fighting functions from forest management, moving them into the Dept of the Interior?
We will address these and other issues as best we can at this date. Bring your questions – your knowledge – and participate in the conversation!
Guest speakers:
Joe Short (Vice President, Northern Forest Center)
David King (UMass Amherst)
Mariko Yamasaki (USFS NRS, ret’d)