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Lawmakers press Forest Service on staffing, hiring freezes and firefighter pay caps
Summary
Members of the House subcommittee challenged Chief Tom Schultz over agency staffing losses, a hiring freeze, pay caps that limit wildfire deployments and the administration's FY2026 budget proposals, and sought data on vacancy levels and implementation of recent pay fixes.
Members of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands pressed U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz at a Sept. 10, 2025, hearing for detailed information about staffing levels after thousands of employees left under voluntary departure programs and other reductions, and about pay rules that affect wildland firefighter deployments.
Why it matters: Lawmakers said staff capacity — both firefighters and support personnel — affects the agency’s ability to plan, manage fuels-reduction projects and respond during wildfire season. Members from both parties urged Congress and the agency to ensure…
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