We cover a sweeping USDA plan to restructure the Forest Service, including the elimination of regional offices and the consolidation of research stations, plus renewed pressure from Congress to adopt outdated wildfire suppression tactics. We break down a major executive order from President Trump aimed at fast-tracking AI data center development on federal land. Then we turn to the House’s latest Interior budget bill, which slashes funding for the EPA, National Park Service, and climate programs while packing in dozens of anti-environment riders. And finally, we report on a legal win for conservationists, as a federal court blocks a controversial algaecide experiment at North Carolina’s Lake Mattamuskeet.

Forest Service Reorganization Plan Announced

On Thursday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the first steps to implement a reorganization plan for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The plan would phase out the nine Regional U.S. Forest Service Offices over the next year, taking into account the ongoing fire season. Under the plan, the Forest Service would maintain a reduced state office in Juneau, Alaska, and an eastern service center in Athens, Georgia. The current stand-alone Research Stations would be consolidated into a single location in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Forest Service would retain the Fire Sciences Lab and the Forest Products Lab.

The House Interior Appropriations bill includes report language reminding agencies that longstanding General Guidelines for Reprogramming require agencies funded by this act to submit reorganization proposals for the Committees’ review prior to implementation.

Executive Order on AI and Data Centers

On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Accelerating federal permitting of data center infrastructure.” The order outlines a range of actions designed to support the construction of data centers for artificial intelligence. It directs agencies to provide financial support such as loans, grants, and tax incentives. It also instructs CEQ and EPA to expedite these projects by changing existing regulations and developing new categorical exclusions. The order designates these actions as FAST-41 covered projects and directs EPA, DOI, DOE, and DOD to identify federal land as suitable for development.

Fordyce Testifies on Conservation Reserve Program

On Wednesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee heard testimony from Richard Fordyce, President Trump’s nominee for USDA undersecretary overseeing farm production and conservation. With the White House considering ending the Conservation Reserve Program, lawmakers from both parties asked Fordyce about his position. The program is a long-standing initiative supported by hunting organizations that pays farmers to set aside land for wildlife habitat. Fordyce praised the program and pledged to work with both Republicans and Democrats to preserve and improve it.

House Committee Advances Wildfire Legislation

On Wednesday, the House Natural Resources Committee approved a bill by Representative Tom McClintock of California that would direct the Forest Service to return to a wildfire suppression model requiring fires to be put out within 24 hours of detection. The legislation would not apply to all national forests. Democrats opposed the bill, noting that the 24-hour policy was abandoned in the late 20th century after it was shown to cause overgrown forests that are more susceptible to wildfire.

Democratic amendments to the bill were rejected. These amendments focused on the Forest Service’s staffing struggles, citing a ProPublica report that combines internal agency data with fire personnel interviews and concludes that the agency will not meet its seasonal firefighter staffing goals due to civil servant terminations and deferred resignations.

The Committee also approved another bill by Representative McClintock that would allow categorical exclusions on as much as 10,000 acres of Forest Service land for hazardous fuels removal. This bill, HR 179, contains language similar to the Fix Our Forests Act, which previously passed the House and is currently stalled in the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Court Ruling Halts Algaecide Use at Lake Mattamuskeet

A federal court ruled in favor of Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club in a lawsuit filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center. The case challenged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s plan to use a chemical algaecide at Lake Mattamuskeet in eastern North Carolina. The court’s ruling means the agency must redo its environmental review before proceeding.

The lake is a 40,000-acre centerpiece of a major migratory bird sanctuary. The algaecide, found to be toxic to birds, was approved for use after the North Carolina General Assembly allocated state funds to test it. In Florida, this same chemical was used in several lakes and rivers but failed to deliver lasting results against harmful algal blooms.

The algaecide experiment was scheduled to begin in the summer and fall of 2024 and repeat in 2025. After a court hearing, the Fish and Wildlife Service voluntarily paused its plans while litigation continued. The court has now ruled that the agency violated environmental review requirements.

“This is a huge relief for everyone who treasures Lake Mattamuskeet and the amazing bird life that this wildlife sanctuary is known for. The court recognized the legal problems with the Fish and Wildlife Service’s rushed and inadequate approval of this dangerous experiment. Instead of exposing hundreds of species of birds to a toxic algaecide, we hope the Service can now refocus on real, long-term solutions. Blue-green algae blooms at the lake are driven by runoff and invasive common carp, and local stakeholders, including the Fish and Wildlife Service, have already developed a watershed restoration plan to address those root causes, not the symptoms. That plan, not chemical shortcuts, is what the lake truly needs.”

— Ramona McGee, Southern Environmental Law Center

House Interior Appropriations Bill Advances

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Appropriations approved its fiscal year 2026 funding bill for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The bill allocates $38 billion, which is $2.9 billion below the fiscal year 2025 enacted level and $9.2 billion above the President’s request.

The bill provides $14.8 billion for the Department of the Interior, which is a $61 billion cut from last year. The Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Geological Survey together account for over $500 million in cuts. The Environmental Protection Agency’s budget would be reduced by $2.1 billion to a total of $7 billion. These cuts would impact core science and environmental program work and eliminate funding for environmental justice activities, atmospheric protection programs, and the agency’s work on climate change.

The bill includes $3.6 billion for Wildland Fire Management, which is $48 million above fiscal year 2025 but $129 million below the budget request. It also includes $2.85 billion in the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund, which is $100 million above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the budget request. The bill does not contain language to consolidate Forest Service and Department of the Interior wildfire programs into a new bureau.

Seventy-two policy riders are included in the bill. These would impact endangered species protections, hinder efforts to protect the sage grouse and other species, prohibit implementation of the public lands rule, encourage oil and gas leasing near sensitive and Arctic landscapes, and block funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

The bill also allocates $900 million to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

On Thursday, the Senate approved its version of the same bill. 

“The Senate bill passed 26 to 2, while the House bill passed strictly along party lines. That difference reflects how each chamber operates. In the House, the majority can write whatever bill they want without concessions. In the Senate, you need to negotiate something that can hit the 60-vote threshold, so the result is a more moderate bill. The House version includes over 70 anti-environmental riders and deep cuts, while the Senate version avoids poison pill riders and includes language that directs agencies to maintain staffing levels. That’s something people who care about public lands should celebrate.

Both bills have now cleared committee, and what happens next is uncertain. Congress has until September 30 before funding runs out. The question is whether they can negotiate a bipartisan agreement that avoids a shutdown. There’s also the risk of a rescissions package being pushed after passage, which would claw back parts of the deal with only 50 votes. So building trust is going to be critical.

One positive development is around the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Despite attempts by the administration to redirect funding, both chambers have included language ensuring that the full amount goes to land conservation, not deferred maintenance. That’s good news for conservation, and it improves the odds that LWCF funding will survive final negotiations.”
— Bart Johnsen-Harris, The Trust for Public Land

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