The U.S. Forest Service is considering closing dozens of research facilities across the country, including one in Blacksburg. The closure is part of a larger restructuring plan the federal agency announced in March.
The Forest Service did not clarify how many staff in Virginia will have to relocate as part of their restructuring plan.
Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with 32 congressional leaders, wrote a letter to the Department of Agriculture, noting the agency already saw cuts last year.
Kaine said he’s especially concerned to hear the Blacksburg facility may close.
“I think we’re going to regret this,” Kaine said. “U.S. Forest Service does a lot of research about how to maintain healthy forest. If you maintain healthy forest, you improve air quality. You improve habitat for species. You improve water quality. Our forests are basically are working to helping us have a cleaner and more beautiful Virginia and a healthy planet.”
Research conducted at the Blacksburg facility includes science about keeping streams and fish healthy, and their work is often done in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The Forest Service is considering closing more than 50 research stations across the country, a majority of the offices that manage forest science. An office in Morgantown, W.Va. and another in Asheville, NC are listed as remaining open.
In an email to Radio IQ, a spokesperson from the Forest Service said “the reorganization does not eliminate scientific positions, cancel research programs, or reduce our national research footprint. In many locations, ‘closure’ refers only to individual buildings currently housing small teams. Staff and programs will continue their work, relocated into fewer facilities while maintaining research presence across the country.”
The agency went on to explain that the list of offices they may close are still being considered and they are still evaluating their plans for consolidating research stations.
The Forest Service is also relocating its headquarters from Washington D.C. to Salt Lake City. President Donald Trump has proposed additional cuts to the agency’s budget, as well as an increase of mining and logging on public lands.
