Oregon Lawmakers Warn USDA Plan Would Weaken Wildfire Response, Disrupt Critical Research, and Jeopardize 246 Local Jobs.

By The Office of Rep. Val Hoyle

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Val Hoyle (OR-04) joined Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05) to raise the alarm over the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plan to close the U.S. Forest Service’s Region 6 headquarters in Portland and Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis.

In a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, the Oregon Democratic delegation warned the closures would gut wildfire response capacity, cripple long-term scientific research, and abandon 246 expert staff—all while the Pacific Northwest faces record staffing shortages and escalating fire seasons.

“Forests cover over half of Oregon. Over 15.6 million acres are managed by the Forest Service. Forests remain Oregon’s most abundant natural resource and support over 62,300 forest sector jobs with higher-than-average wages,” the lawmakers wrote.

“The proposed closure of the Region 6 office comes at a time when the Forest Service is already facing severe staffing shortages, with the Pacific Northwest well into fire season…This shortage of personnel means that critical wildfire response efforts are increasingly strained. The proposed reorganization, including the closure of regional offices, will likely exacerbate this situation, reducing the Forest Service’s ability to manage wildfires effectively and coordinate resources across the region.”

To underscore the urgency, the Oregon delegation posed eight specific questions demanding clarity on how USDA will protect Oregon’s forests, workers, and communities:

The full text of the delegation’s letter to Secretary Rollins is available here.