But conservation groups like Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) warn that closing specialized research stations from Alaska to Florida cripples the agency’s ability to understand local forest diversity and combat climate change. Sweeping changes could isolate groups and slap a one-size-fits-all approach to the 193 million USFS-managed acres.
For the millions of Americans who use these lands for recreation, and for groups that promote conservation, the move represents a fundamental shift in who owns, and who protects, the American West.