April 24, 2026 10:40 a.m.  

Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, led over 30 of his colleagues – including Senator Ron Wyden – in raising strong concerns about the reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The senators wrote, “We write with strong concerns regarding the announced reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service”. The letter continued, “While we have expressed support for improving the operations of the USFS, we believe the reorganization announced on March 31, 2026, may lead to additional capacity and workforce reductions throughout the agency, harming its ability to deliver on its mission”.

The senators said, “After the deep cuts over the previous year, a 2025 survey by the Partnership for Public Service found that the USFS was significantly worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs and providing quality service than a year earlier. In addition, the sweeping changes being proposed – potentially impacting more than 6,500 employees – combined with the thousands of employees already lost through deferred resignation programs threatens to further erode the agency’s ability to complete its mission”.

The senators concluded their letter by asking for a timely response from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.