Senate aides, Forest Service chief spar over plan to move wildfire operations to new U.S. Wildland Fire Service

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Lisa Murkowski opened the hearing by pressing U.S. Forest Service Chief Schultz on the administration's proposal to transfer most wildfire personnel and activities from the Forest Service to a newly created U.S. Wildland Fire Service within the Department of the Interior.

Murkowski said the plan "proposes a drastic reorganization of our nation's wildfire capabilities" and asked Schultz to explain "how the administration envisions this whole restructuring working and really what it means to the Forest Service as an agency." The chief responded that the intent is "to standardize things across the board and have a unified firefighting force" and that details are still being worked out with Department of the Interior.

Why it matters: senators said the proposal could affect on-the-ground firefighting coordination, fuels management and the Forest Service's relationships with states and local partners.…