WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service plans to move its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah, and begin an effort to move leadership closer to the forests and the communities it serves.

For an agency whose lands, partners, and operational challenges are overwhelmingly concentrated in the West, the shift represents a structural reset and a common-sense approach to improve mission delivery.

"President Trump has made it a priority to return common sense to the way our government works. Moving the Forest Service closer to the forests we manage is an essential action that will improve our core mission of managing our forests while saving taxpayer dollars and boosting employee recruitment," said Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. "Establishing a western headquarters in Salt Lake City and streamlining how the Forest Service is organized will position the Chief and operation leaders closer to the landscapes we manage and the people who depend on them."

Spencer Cox, Republican governor of Utah, called the announcement a "big win" for Utah and the West. "Nearly 90% of Forest Service lands are west of the Mississippi, so putting leadership closer to the lands they manage just makes sense. This isn’t symbolic. It means better, faster decisions on the ground."