Tell Congress to protect Forest Service research!

Across the country, U.S. Forest Service research stations are being shut down right as wildfire risks are rising — and Congress must act now to stop it.

According to reporting from The New York Times, the Trump administration has announced plans to close 57 out of 77 Forest Service research facilities across 31 states, consolidating critical wildfire and climate research into a single hub. Scientists warn this could dismantle decades of place-based research on wildfires, drought, and forest health—knowledge we rely on to keep communities safe.

Coverage in the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate highlights how these stations provide critical, region-specific data that helps scientists understand fire behavior, drought, and forest health.

Fast Company reports that this restructuring is happening just as experts warn of a dangerous wildfire season ahead. Scientists and advocates – including those cited by the Union of Concerned Scientists - say shutting down these stations could drive out researchers and weaken the federal government’s ability to prepare for and respond to wildfires.

The New Yorker also notes that the Forest Service has long been a vital presence in rural communities, and this reorganization risks undermining both its scientific capacity and its local impact.

These stations don’t just study forests — they help protect communities. Losing them means losing the knowledge and tools that enable effective wildfire preparedness.

Congress must step in to halt these closures, protect Forest Service research, and ensure wildfire policy is guided by science.

Add your name now to demand Congress protect Forest Service research and wildfire prevention.

Our forests — and our communities — depend on it.

Thanks,
Mary