US Forest Service Proposes Closing Three-Quarters of Research Sites

The US Forest Service has proposed closing some three-quarters of its research sites, a move that would affect dozens of facilities supporting long-term studies. The agency’s Research and Development branch is the world’s largest forestry-research organization, with roughly 1,000 employees at 77 sites.

Its work includes identifying the exact species of fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats and developing a woodland-fire model used in multiple countries.

Some of the sites slated for possible closure support research at woodlands designated as experimental forests, several of which have hosted active longitudinal studies for more than a century. Current and former scientists at the agency described feeling overwhelmed, saddened, crushed and demoralized by the proposal.

A recently retired forest-service scientist said these locations are irreplaceable, adding, "You can’t say, ‘Okay, I lost that one.

'" The scientist requested anonymity to protect ongoing research collaborations with agency staff. The Cutfoot Experimental Forest in Minnesota is located near one research facility that could be closed as part of the reorganization. Scientists at the sites conduct field work that includes setting a forest on fire and studying it with drones.

The proposal is part of a broader reorganization of the agency. The full list of sites under consideration for closure has not been released publicly.