U.S. Forest Restructuring Plan

[RCF]

Finally released:

US Forest Service releases long-awaited restructuring plan

After months of uncertainty, researchers with the U.S. Forest Service are learning whether they will have to relocate under the agency’s sweeping restructure.

www.kuow.org

 

[Go Fish]

As the wife said all they are trying to do is destroy everything. Sure, I’ll have the salad.

 

[Guy Gregory]

I'd feel a lot better about USFS (and other agency) restructuring if the plan was developed by the agency staff and the public they serve. It'd take more time, but be much more robust. It's not clear to me that this plan is anything other than some wonk somewhere with a map and a sharpie axing out stuff.

 

[FinLuver]

Have you seen how fast the wheels of government bureaucracy travel? Add in the public’s input, and you have a recipe that never gets baked. No thanks…we’ve had enough of that already.
Glad something is actually being done.

 

[RCF]

It is good to know the plan, whether we agree or not. It is good for the employees, and their families too.

Sounds like more changes are to come.

 

[SSPey]

Moving USFS HQ leadership out of DC (where they can best coordinate with USDA and other federal agencies) to SLC is flat-out stupid.

Worst of all, the move is so dumb that (guaranteed) HQ will be moved back to DC when the political winds change. Because that’s where it belongs. The same back-and-forth shuffle happened moving BLM to Colorado in the 1st iteration of this idiocracy.

Those in charge know this. They do it anyway, because the net effect is to their liking: people will quit, creating a knowledge vacuum that undermines federal programs. Set the system up for failure. Flood the zone

 

[SurfnFish]

Just more lingering damage from the massive clownshow that was DOGE and so emblematic of this entire administration. Draw, fire, aim.

 

[RCF]

After working at the Lazy B for 35 years I have been through a number of restructures and layoffs. Change is hard for many people, including me. Knowing changes are happening and not knowing the plan is worse. I have seen 80% of our department get laid off. In another instance, many jobs were transferred to StL. It always benefited the employer and not the employee.

Just before my 35th anniversary, more layoffs, this time voluntary but not my job code. Made it through that one, so I thought. Called into the office on a Monday and was told my job was being relocated to StL with 25% pay cut and had to pay my relocation expenses. No option for a layoff and associated compensation. Took Friday off, saw the CPA, had lunch with my wife and sent in my early retirement notice. Bye bye...

I will take a plan any day over not knowing.

 

[Guy Gregory]

Have you seen how fast the wheels of government bureaucracy travel? Add in the public’s input, and you have a recipe that never gets baked. No thanks…we’ve had enough of that already.
Glad something is actually being done.

Yeah, I have. And I’ve seen how fast special interests go to whomever they need to see that will stuff the process. If y’all prefer cheap and fast over good, enjoy what you get.

 

[DimeBrite]

Sadly sharper cuts to Fed discretionary spending are inevitable (regardless of who is running the government). Treasury bond interest rates are rising, controlled only by the Fed purchasing its own bonds. National debt is over $40 trillion >125% of GDP. Annual interest payments on US debt are $1.1 trillion and rising (~19% of the federal budget). Those massive debt repayments steal from Federal spending on nice things like infrastructure, a forest service, education, space exploration, law enforcement, emergency management,... If the equity bubble pops all hell breaks loose as tax payments into the treasury collapse.

Fiscal Data Explains the National Debt

Check out @FiscalService Fiscal Data’s new national debt page! #NationalDebt

fiscaldata.treasury.gov

 

[krusty]

It's easy to break stuff, especially when you don't have a clue about how stuff works, and don't really give a fuck.

 

[Zak]

Sadly sharper cuts to Fed discretionary spending are inevitable (regardless of who is running the government). Treasury bond interest rates are rising, controlled only by the Fed purchasing its own bonds. National debt is over $40 trillion >125% of GDP. Annual interest payments on US debt are $1.1 trillion and rising (~19% of the federal budget). Those massive debt repayments steal from Federal spending on nice things like infrastructure, a forest service, education, space exploration, law enforcement, emergency management,... If the equity bubble pops all hell breaks loose as tax payments into the treasury collapse.

Fiscal Data Explains the National Debt

Check out @FiscalService Fiscal Data’s new national debt page! #NationalDebt

fiscaldata.treasury.gov

We could tax the rich at a higher rate instead of huge tax cuts for the top 1%.

 

[Flymph]

Makes perfect sense, right; year after year of drought, one of the worse wildfire years, build massive data centers (millions of gallons of water wasted, spew polluted water, produce their own diesel emissions, radiant heat increase of 12 degrees, etc.), and now degrade fire fighting efforts through a "Restructuring" plan that basically says "let them eat cake"; translation, let them burn to a crisp.

 

[DimeBrite]

We could tax the rich at a higher rate instead of huge tax cuts for the top 1%.

You could confiscate 100% of the assets of the wealthiest Americans and it still won't solve the debt problem.

 

[Flymph]

The Top 10%: Holds a combined net worth surpassing $113 trillion, which is more than twice the wealth owned by the remaining 90% of the country combined. [1]. POTUS and ilk have jacked the debt up to 40T last time I looked.

 

[FinLuver]

Yeah, I have. And I’ve seen how fast special interests go to whomever they need to see that will stuff the process. If y’all prefer cheap and fast over good, enjoy what you get.

I’ve been experiencing crappy and expensive bureaucracy…
Can’t say I been likin it the past years in Oregon.

 

[wanderingrichard]

The Top 10%: Holds a combined net worth surpassing $113 trillion, which is more than twice the wealth owned by the remaining 90% of the country combined. [1]. POTUS and ilk have jacked the debt up to 40T last time I looked.

@Flymph
Sorry, but I'd want that as an all cash deal. Most of that "wealth" is speculative, and comes in the equivalent of trading baseball cards.

 

[DimeBrite]

2026 chart book examines spending, taxes, and deficits | Brookings

Jessica Riedl's 2026 chart book provides a standard, non-partisan look at the trends in spending, taxes, and deficits.

www.brookings.edu

This report is a very good summary of why Federal discretionary spending for important programs like the Forest Service are (and will continue) suffering. Other categories of Federal spending are rising sharply and consuming an ever larger percentage of the US budget. The situation is dire no later than the mid 2030s.







Federal spending on hugely expanding entitlement programs & cost of debt financing is clearly responsible for this first wave of "easy" cuts to discretionary spending on things like Forest Service research labs. We the aging American citizens are indirectly causing these cuts.

Unfortunately our government has chosen to monetize the debt away through inflation. Holders of US dollars and bonds are getting crushed. Equities and commodities appear to rise, but only when priced in inflated US dollars. The aging citizens will still get their checks, but the money will seem trivial compared to inflation and what was promised. Important parts of the Federal government will get hollowed out by successive waves of cuts to keep the benefit checks flowing. Finally, the younger generation come into power and reset the currency and start a new order, chastened by the excesses of previous generations.

 

[Rob Allen]

The forest service was and already is a complete disaster.

Sadly sharper cuts to Fed discretionary spending are inevitable (regardless of who is running the government). Treasury bond interest rates are rising, controlled only by the Fed purchasing its own bonds. National debt is over $40 trillion >125% of GDP. Annual interest payments on US debt are $1.1 trillion and rising (~19% of the federal budget). Those massive debt repayments steal from Federal spending on nice things like infrastructure, a forest service, education, space exploration, law enforcement, emergency management,... If the equity bubble pops all hell breaks loose as tax payments into the treasury collapse.

Fiscal Data Explains the National Debt

Check out @FiscalService Fiscal Data’s new national debt page! #NationalDebt

fiscaldata.treasury.gov

The need to make serious cuts to the federal budget and putting that money directly towards
The national debt is not up for debate. It's something we have to do to avoid bankruptcy.
It's not about who spent what on what. That's a child's argument. Both sides have incredible abuses of our tax dollars. I'm sorry if there is no toilet paper in Yellowstone directly the next 10 years we just gotta do it.. no one gets their pet projects anymore. We at the same time need to shore up SS and pay off our debt. These are things we have to do.
0 dollars for salmon recovery ( our pet project) so be it.. our debt is more important that all pet projects combined.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Sadly sharper cuts to Fed discretionary spending are inevitable (regardless of who is running the government). Treasury bond interest rates are rising, controlled only by the Fed purchasing its own bonds. National debt is over $40 trillion >125% of GDP. Annual interest payments on US debt are $1.1 trillion and rising (~19% of the federal budget). Those massive debt repayments steal from Federal spending on nice things like infrastructure, a forest service, education, space exploration, law enforcement, emergency management,... If the equity bubble pops all hell breaks loose as tax payments into the treasury collapse.

Fiscal Data Explains the National Debt

Check out @FiscalService Fiscal Data’s new national debt page! #NationalDebt

fiscaldata.treasury.gov

This. This is what everybody is not paying enough attention to.