The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) has strongly criticized the Trump administration’s plan to relocate the headquarters of the U.S. Forest Service to Salt Lake City and eliminate its regional offices, describing the move as a major disruption to workers and a threat to effective land management.
In a statement on Tuesday, NFFE-IAM National President Randy Erwin said the restructuring would negatively impact thousands of employees responsible for managing forests, combating wildfires, and maintaining public lands.
“The Trump administration cannot dress up a mass workforce disruption as common-sense management,” Erwin said. “Our members are in our nation’s forests every single day, helping manage watersheds, wildfires, and the lands that millions of Americans rely on. Uprooting their careers and dismantling the structure they work within is not reform — it is chaos, and the American public will pay the price.”
The union noted that the proposed changes could affect a wide range of personnel, including research scientists whose work informs national forestry policies, as well as recreation technicians tasked with ensuring safety and accessibility across public lands.
The development comes weeks after 174 workers at the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest voted to join NFFE-IAM, a move the union said reflects growing concerns among federal employees over job security and workplace protections.
NFFE-IAM alleged that the administration has intensified actions against federal workers, including attempts to cut jobs and roll back collective bargaining agreements.
“Forest Service employees are increasingly seeking the protection of union representation at a time when their rights and livelihoods are under threat,” Erwin added.
The union emphasized that it represents tens of thousands of Forest Service employees under a master agreement that guarantees workplace protections. It insisted that the agency must meet its legal obligation to negotiate with the union over the impact and implementation of the restructuring before any workforce changes are carried out.
The NFFE-IAM represents approximately 110,000 government workers across the United States, spanning both blue- and white-collar roles.
