The U.S. Forest Service is implementing a sweeping restructuring to move leadership and decision making closer to the forests and communities it serves – and Warren is heavily involved.

According to a fact sheet posted by the U.S. Forest Service, Warren will be the headquarters for the Mid-Atlantic states and New England, a region that covers 12 states.

The changes implement direction from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to modernize U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies, reduce bureaucracy, and place more employees outside Washington, D.C.

“For an agency whose lands, partners, and operational challenges are overwhelmingly concentrated in the west, this shift represents a structural reset and a common-sense approach to improve mission delivery,” the fact sheet states.

The Forest Service will officially move its headquarters west to Salt Lake City, Utah, where the chief of the Forest Service will reside. About two‒thirds of National Capital Region positions will relocate from Washington, D.C., with some moving to Salt Lake City and others to various

Operations Service Centers. One‒third of positions, including the associate chief, will remain at the Yates Building to support departmental coordination, communications, congressional engagement, and interagency policy work.

“The Forest Service is transitioning from a legacy regional structure to a State-based organizational model designed to simplify the chain of command, strengthen local partnerships, and give field leaders greater ability to respond to conditions on the ground. Under this model, 15

state directors will oversee Forest Service operations within one or more states and will serve as national leaders for forest supervisors, operational priorities, and relationships with states, tribes, and partners,” the fact sheet states.

Each state office will include a small leadership team responsible for legislative affairs, communications, and intergovernmental coordination.

The administrative overhaul also involves shuttering research facilities in 31 states. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the move, which is expected to be completed by summer 2027, will bring leaders closer to the landscapes they manage and the people who depend on them.

“Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground, where forests and communities are found — not just behind a desk in the capital,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said.

Nearly 90% of National Forest System land is in the West, though Utah is only the 11th-ranked state for national forest coverage, with about 14,300 square miles.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.