USDA announces Forest Service reorganization; Minnesota oversight to shift from Milwaukee to Madison, WI
Apr 03, 2026 07:55AM ● By Content Editor
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - April 2, 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a "reorganization" of the Forest Service, moving the agency away from its traditional regional management system, which has governed the agency since 1908 and relied on nine broad geographic regions and regional offices, toward a state-based organizational model with 15 new offices.
Each new state office will be led by a state director to "simplify the chain of command" and "strengthen local partnerships, " according to the USDA. To improve efficiency, the agency says it is "centralizing technical tasks," such as engineering and forest plan revisions, into national Operations Service Centers and unifying all research stations into a single organization based in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The USDA is reorganizing the USFS from nine geographic regions and offices to 15 State Offices. Image: USDA
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, in a press release issued on March 31, described the reorganization as a "common-sense approach to improve mission delivery," adding that the changes are designed to "modernize U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies, reduce bureaucracy, and place more employees outside Washington, DC."
Under the reorganization, national headquarters will move from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah, where the Chief of the Forest Service, Tom Schultz, will now reside. The USDA states that as part of the move, "about two-thirds of National Capital Region positions will relocate from Washington, DC," with staff moving to the new Utah headquarters or various Operations Service Centers. One-third of the positions, including the Associate Chief of the Forest Service, Chris French, will remain in Washington to handle departmental coordination, communications, and congressional engagement.
According to Secretary Rollins, for an agency whose lands and operational challenges are "overwhelmingly concentrated in the West," this shift represents a "structural reset" intended to move leadership and decision-making closer to the forests and communities the agency serves.
Impacts on Minnesota
Northern Minnesota, which was previously managed by a regional office in Milwaukee, will now fall under the jurisdiction of the Great Lakes & Midwest State Office located in Madison, Wisconsin. Despite these changes to high-level oversight, the USDA indicates that local management will remain consistent.
Boreal Community Media reached out to the USFS-Superior National Forest general office in Duluth, asking if the reorganization would impact any of the Superior National Forest offices and/or staff members, including in Cook County, and received the following statement from a USDA spokesperson:
"Tuesday’s [March 31] announcement includes no changes for forest or district offices or their staffing. The Superior and Chippewa National Forests are committed to ensuring that all operations — including wildfire readiness and response — continue without interruption. The Forest Service’s fire readiness and response remain unchanged, and our operational firefighters and aviation resources continue to support wildfire response."
In an Organizational Realignment Fact Sheet published by the Forest Service, the organization said that "throughout the transition, frontline mission work will continue uninterrupted," including active forest management and recreation services.
In other parts of Minnesota, the St. Paul research facility is designated as a "retained location" under the new national Research and Development organization.
Additionally, the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids will remain as is, as the USDA stated that the reorganization "does not make any changes to our Fire and Aviation Management program or its field-based operational firefighters."
Map of Research and Development facilities, including in St. Paul, MN. Image: USFS
To manage the transition, an internal executive team has been assembled to prioritize employee engagement and feedback. The formal elimination of regional and station structures is expected to be implemented over the coming year. Until the new model is fully operational, an interim operations structure will remain in place.
In a message to USFS employees, Chief Tom Schultz stated that the "challenges we face today call for a model that is more responsive, accountable, and locally connected than before," emphasizing that while roles and locations may change, there is a position for every employee in the new structure.
The announcement has drawn varied reactions from state officials and advocacy groups. Supporters of the move, such as Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, have suggested that placing management closer to the forests will benefit sectors such as timber, recreation, and energy development. Conversely, organizations such as the Sierra Club have opposed the relocation and reorganization. Critics argue that the changes could disrupt the agency's workforce, lead to a loss of specialized expertise, and potentially impact the long-term stewardship of public lands.
