{"id":2588956,"date":"2026-04-09T14:49:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T18:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-hysterical-media-are-lying-about-the-forest-service-reorganization\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T14:53:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T18:53:49","slug":"the-hysterical-media-are-lying-about-the-forest-service-reorganization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-hysterical-media-are-lying-about-the-forest-service-reorganization\/","title":{"rendered":"Hysterical Media Are Lying About Forest Service Reorganization"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-hysterical-media-are-lying-about-the-forest-service-reorganization%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2588956&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>An article by chris Bray in The federalist argues that reports of the U.S. Forest Service being \u201cgutted\u201d are overstated and reflects a reorganization rather than a dissolution. Key points include:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece critiques a New Yorker story that claimed the Forest Service was being gutted ahead of wildfire season, noting it fails to quantify budget cuts or staffing reductions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The Forest Service is undergoing a reorganization that moves its national headquarters from Washington, D.C., to utah and replaces large regional headquarters with state offices, with the aim of bringing management closer to the forests. Detailed descriptions and office changes are linked in the article.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The reorganization is debatable and its effects remain to be seen,but it is framed as a restructuring,not a gutting.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The National Association of State Foresters offered cautious optimism,supporting a transition to a state-based organizational model while acknowledging questions and stakeholder feedback.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Colorado Governor Jared Polis expressed support for the reorganization, highlighting benefits of locating a Forest Service presence in the state.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; On wildfire funding, the article notes the federal wildfire budget is rising (e.g., $6.35 billion in FY 2024 and $6.7 billion in FY 2026) and that firefighter salaries have been improving, challenging the claim of diminished capacity.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The Federalist invites a response from the Forest Service to the charge of being gutted and indicates the story will be updated with their reply.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece ends with a bio of author Chris Bray, a senior correspondent for The federalist, and provides links to related articles and tags.<\/p>\n<p>In short, the article contends that the Forest Service is reorganizing-moving headquarters, shifting toward state offices, and not experiencing a net cut in budget or capabilities-while inviting official clarification on the controversy.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/visit\/maps\">US Forest Service<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/09\/the-hysterical-media-are-lying-about-the-forest-service-reorganization\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=The%20Hysterical%20Media%20Are%20Lying%20About%20The%20Forest%20Service%20Reorganization&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/09\/the-hysterical-media-are-lying-about-the-forest-service-reorganization\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=The%20Hysterical%20Media%20Are%20Lying%20About%20The%20Forest%20Service%20Reorganization&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/09\/the-hysterical-media-are-lying-about-the-forest-service-reorganization\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/09\/the-hysterical-media-are-lying-about-the-forest-service-reorganization\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=The%20Hysterical%20Media%20Are%20Lying%20About%20The%20Forest%20Service%20Reorganization&amp;body=The%20reorganization%20is%20debatable,%20and%20its%20effects%20have%20yet%20to%20be%20seen,%20but%20the%20Forest%20Service%20isn't%20being%20'gutted.'%20It's%20being%20reorganized.%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/09\/the-hysterical-media-are-lying-about-the-forest-service-reorganization\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>In a ludicrous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/news\/the-lede\/the-forest-service-a-force-across-rural-america-reorganizes-under-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">news story<\/a> this week, The New Yorker writes about &ldquo;the gutting of the Forest Service,&rdquo; and warns that the supposed &ldquo;gutting&rdquo; is happening right before wildfire season. If you read the story for yourself, look for <em>numbers<\/em>: budget reductions, slashed staffing. Spoiler alert: You won&rsquo;t find any of that. A story about something being &ldquo;gutted&rdquo; makes no effort to quantify the claim.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the Trump administration is reorganizing the Forest Service, starting by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/about-agency\/newsroom\/releases\/usda-prioritizing-common-sense-forest-management-moves-forest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">moving its national headquarters<\/a> from Washington, D.C., to Utah, the heart of the Western lands that the service largely manages. The plan also replaces large regional headquarters with state offices, moving the management of public lands <em>closer<\/em> to the actual forests. You can read a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-post-opinion-columnists-struggle-to-accept-reality-of-trumps-defeat\/\" title=\"Washington Post Opinion Columnists Struggle to Accept Reality of Trump\u2019s Defeat\">detailed description<\/a> of the changes, with a list of offices that are closing and a list of the offices that will replace them, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/about-agency\/reorganization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>. The reorganization is debatable, and its effects have yet to be seen, but the Forest Service isn&rsquo;t being &ldquo;gutted.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s being <em>reorganized<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-459540225\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In an example of a good sign, the National Association of State Foresters released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stateforesters.org\/newsroom\/nasf-statement-on-2026-usda-forest-service-reorganization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a> last week expressing cautious optimism about the reorganization: &ldquo;The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) supports the transition to a state-based organizational model that continues to serve all lands. &hellip; While the restructuring plan raises many questions, we appreciate that it reflects feedback from State Foresters and other stakeholders.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, the Democrat governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coloradoan.com\/story\/news\/local\/2026\/04\/03\/fort-collins-to-play-big-role-in-us-forest-service-reorganization\/89436587007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expressed support<\/a> for the reorganization: &ldquo;Colorado is known for our outdoor spaces and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >nation-leading research institutions<\/a> that are strengthening our forests and public lands, so it only makes sense that the U.S. Forest Service would include a location in our great state.&rdquo; The New Yorker warns that the Forest Service is being &ldquo;gutted,&rdquo; while the governor of a state with significant National Forest land has warm things to say about the improvement of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/area-larger-than-california-federal-govt-identifies-old-growth-mature-forests\/\" title=\"Area Larger Than California: Federal Govt Identifies Old...Growth, Mature ...\">federal forest management<\/a>. Go figure.<\/p>\n<p>As for the implied wildfire threat, you can read a detailed line-item description of the federal wildfire budget <a href=\"https:\/\/www.taxpayer.net\/disaster\/congress-passes-fy2026-wildfire-funding-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>. It&rsquo;s going up, not down: $6.35 billion in FY 2024, $6.7 billion in FY 2026. Firefighter salaries are <a href=\"https:\/\/federalnewsnetwork.com\/workforce\/2025\/03\/federal-wildland-firefighters-secure-permanent-pay-raise-but-work-is-far-from-over\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">improving<\/a> after a long period of stagnation that made it harder to fill federal wildfire jobs. This is not &ldquo;gutting.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Debate is fine. Stop listening to hysterical fake news. The Federalist has asked the Forest Service for a response to the stupid claim that the organization is being &ldquo;gutted,&rdquo; with a supposed increase in wildfire risks. This story will be updated when they reply.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Chris Bray is a senior correspondent at The Federalist and a former infantry sergeant in the U.S. Army. He has a history PhD from the University of California Los Angeles, not that it did him any good. He also posts on Substack, at &#8220;Tell Me How This Ends,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/chrisbray.substack.com\/\">here<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Chris Bray<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/chrisbray\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/forest-service\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Forest Service<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/jared-polis\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Jared Polis<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/nasf\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">NASF<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/national-association-of-state-foresters\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">National Association of State Foresters<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/new-yorker\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">New Yorker<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/public-lands\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">public lands<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/reorganization\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">reorganization<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/u-s-forest-service\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">U.S. Forest Service<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/usda\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">USDA<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/usfs\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">USFS<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/utah\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Utah<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/wildfire\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">wildfire<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The New Yorker\u2019s claim of a \u201cgutting\u201d of the Forest Service is sensational but lacks concrete figures for budget cuts or fewer staff. In reality, the Trump administration is reorganizing the agency-moving the national headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Utah and replacing large regional offices with state-based offices-bringing management closer to the forests. The plan is debatable, but it isn\u2019t a gutting; it\u2019s a reorganization. <\/p>\n<p>The National Association of State Foresters offered cautious optimism, saying the change reflects feedback from stakeholders. Colorado Governor Jared Polis also supported the move, arguing it makes sense to situate forest oversight near outdoor lands. Regarding wildfire funding, the budget is increasing (about $6.35 billion in FY2024 and $6.7 billion in FY2026), and firefighter salaries are improving. The Federalist has asked the Forest Service for a response to the gutting accusation and will update. The piece is by Chris Bray, a Federalist senior correspondent and former Army infantry sergeant<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2086,"featured_media":2588957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A_Guide_to_Your_National_Forests-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[77466,77467,56439],"class_list":["post-2588956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-forest-service-2","tag-government-reorganization","tag-media-bias-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A_Guide_to_Your_National_Forests-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2086"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2588956"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2588964,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588956\/revisions\/2588964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2588957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2588956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2588956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2588956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}