Budget: Oppose Cuts to US Forest Service, Research, and Grants

Today I take pen in hand to write and urge you to oppose any cuts to research divisions and programs at the US Forest Service. Such action threatens critical scientific work that informs sustainable management of public lands and natural resources. These lands are vital havens for wildlife, and scientific study of our ecosystem. They are certainly not just lumber for industry profit, but land preserved to support our planet. The people that work in the US Forest Service have a solemn dedication to their jobs in whatever capacity. As you know, the Forest Service research monitors the health of these vast forest reserves, tracks invasive species, and cultivates relationships with state, tribal, and local partners through collaborative studies. Climate change also threatens these vast tracts of wilderness. An increasingly warmer planet means drier fuels and more studies and management about the changes in fire behavior. Without continuous monitoring, we won’t know what hit us when a million-acre blaze destroys these resources, and pours vast amounts of carbon and dangerous particulate matter into the air. As we’re seeing summer after summer, the research into what’s happening to our planet becomes ever more critical. Losing months or years of this foundational data collection could set back conservation efforts by decades. As Elaine Leslie, former agency chief for biological resources at the National Park Service says, “If you just stop a program in the middle, that’s insane…That is waste and fraud, right there. Years and years that people have spent protecting things are about to go down the tubes.”  [NY Times, May 28th, 2025] Cutting Forest Service research stations and eliminating research grants will hamstring the agency's ability to fulfill its mandate of sustainably managing national forests for the public good. We must have adequate funding for research activities is essential to make evidence-based decisions that preserve these lands for future generations. I urge you to oppose any cuts that undermine the Forest Service's scientific capacity and prioritize robust funding for research programs in the upcoming budget. Thank you.