WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley issued the following press release:
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.
"We write with strong concerns regarding the announced reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)," wrote the Senators. "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 ...