Chief Randy Moore told staff the past few weeks have been “incredibly difficult” after 3,400 Forest Service employees were caught up in the Trump administration’s federal firings.
Forest Service Chief Randy Moore will retire effective March 3, according to an email sent to agency staff Wednesday and viewed by POLITICO.
Moore wrote in his staff email that the past several weeks have been “incredibly difficult” due to the Trump administration’s mass layoffs, which have led to 3,400 Forest Service employees — or 10 percent of agency staff — being fired.
“As you have likely read in the news or are personally experiencing, the federal government is undergoing a significant transformation,” Moore said. “As part of a broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government, we parted ways with colleagues we worked alongside, who successfully contributed to our mission, and who were valued members of our Forest Service team.”
Moore, who has led the agency that manages 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands since 2021 and became the first African American to serve as chief, is capping off a 45-year career with the Forest Service. He took over the agency from Vicki Christiansen, the Forest Service chief during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Lawmakers and officials from Western states have warned that President Donald Trump’s cuts to agencies like the Forest Service and funding freezes will threaten critical prevention and mitigation work, leaving the region woefully unprepared for the coming wildfire season.
Moore told staff Wednesday that their work protecting communities, enhancing small businesses, providing drinking water and issuing energy permits is “vital to the American way of life.”
“I have been silent these last few weeks because these decisions are being made at a level above our organization, and I was and am learning about the changes the same time as many of you,” Moore wrote. “Our focus now is on how we respond and adapt to new priorities and continue delivering on our mission with the workforce we have.”
Before serving as chief, Moore served as regional forester in the Pacific Southwest region in California, where he oversaw 18 national forests. He also served as regional forester for the Eastern region headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His career started in conservation in 1978 with the Agriculture Department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in North Dakota.
Trump has nominated Michael Boren, an Idaho investment consultant and GOP donor, to serve as USDA’s undersecretary for natural resources and environment — a position that requires Senate confirmation and oversees the Forest Service.
Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/26/forest-service-chief-retire-00206204