US Forest Service leaving DC, moving headquarters to Utah

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Hikers descend a trail from Mount Baldy Ski Resort on Dec. 23, 2024. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Forest Service is moving its headquarters out of Washington, D.C., the Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday. The move is part of a larger, sweeping restructuring of the organization.

U.S. Forest Service moving to Salt Lake City

What we know:

The Forest Service will move its headquarters from D.C. to Salt Lake City, Utah. Agency officials call it a "common-sense" decision, moving the bulk of resources closer to many of the nation's largest forests.

"Nearly 90% of Forest Service lands are west of the Mississippi, so putting leadership closer to the lands they manage just makes sense," said Utah Governor Spencer Cox. "This isn’t symbolic. It means better, faster decisions on the ground."

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Dig deeper:

The move also comes with a major organizational shift, establishing 15 state offices around the country that will oversee operations in that state or region.

The northeast—including West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware— will be served by a regional state office in Warren, Pennsylvania. Most of the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region will be served by a facility in Athens, Georgia.

Giant sequoia trees stand on August 22, 2022 in Sequoia National Park, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

"Establishing a western headquarters in Salt Lake City and streamlining how the Forest Service is organized will position the Chief and operation leaders closer to the landscapes we manage and the people who depend on them," U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said.

Research facility closures

Local perspective:

As part of the organizational restructuring, the Forest Service is also consolidating its research division, and will close more than 50 research and development centers across the U.S., including the R&D facility in Baltimore.

What we don't know:

The Department of Agriculture did not say when the D.C. headquarters will close, or when officials predict the shift will be complete.