Forest Service chief tells House subcommittee the agency is prepared for 2026 fire season; lawmakers clash over staffing, timber markets and reform

Chief Tom Schultz told the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands on Tuesday that the U.S. Forest Service is “refocus[ing] our efforts on the fundamental work that delivers the greatest good to the American people,” and described higher hiring, aggressive initial attack and increased acres treated ahead of the 2026 wildfire season.

“Wildfire readiness and response remains one of our most urgent responsibilities,” Schultz said in his opening remarks, noting the agency had treated about 3.3 million acres last year and already treated roughly 2.2 million acres year-to-date. Schultz said the agency has hired more than 11,000 firefighters and is on track to meet its staffing goals in July.

The session quickly focused on policy proposals and causes of reduced capacity. Chairman Tiffany pressed Schultz on lost wood‑processing infrastructure and litigation delays, citing maps of sawmill closures and asking how the Forest Service would provide “certainty of supply.” Schultz blamed litigation and regulatory complexity — saying “about 1 billion board feet of timber [are] currently under litigation” — and described work to streamline NEPA procedures under USDA rules and to increase timber volumes offered to market.

Full-committee Chairman Bruce Westerman framed the debate in economic terms, linking markets and mills to forest health. “Without markets, the economic incentives to manage our forest evaporate,” Westerman said, backing the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA) as a tool to increase stewardship contracts and reduce legal and regulatory barriers that delay projects.

Democrats on the panel pressed a different set of concerns. Representative Neguse questioned staffing cuts and program changes, citing analyses he said show a drop in hazardous fuels work; Schultz responded that year‑to‑year comparisons require broader context, and that decreases were regionally concentrated. Neguse also raised worries about cuts to research and the state, private and tribal forestry programs.

Members from both parties probed a proposed agency reorganization. Schultz said the Forest Service is shifting toward a state‑based leadership model and plans to move its headquarters to Salt Lake City, aiming to “drive decisionmaking down” and reduce overhead. He said the study on moving fire functions to the Department of the Interior — a proposal reflected in the president’s budget — would require congressional action and is under a six‑month study due in late fall.

The hearing produced requests for additional information. Several members asked the agency to provide counts of litigation filings, data on tons of wood prevented from removal by lawsuits, and the evidence behind year‑to‑year fuels figures. The committee left the record open for ten business days and asked the Forest Service to submit written responses to follow‑up questions.

The subcommittee adjourned after members entered ethics documents into the record and set deadlines for written follow-ups.