The Forest Service faces “enormous” budget challenges that will likely affect how employees go about their daily jobs, agency Chief Randy Moore said.
In a memo to employees on the Forest Service website Thursday, Moore said the agency is planning for fiscal 2025 based on the leanest scenario as spelled out in the House Appropriations Committee’s proposed Interior spending bill, written by the Republican majority. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
While negotiations with the Democratic-led Senate are likely to lead to higher numbers than proposed in the House, Moore’s memo — and regional-level measures to curtail hiring — paint a discouraging budget picture for the Forest Service. Federal agencies will likely keep going based on a continuing resolution in Congress, with final budget numbers once again poised to be delayed by months.
“There are no easy answers in a time where we see increased costs throughout the country — among them, housing, groceries and gas — that affect not just individuals but our agency as well,” Moore said. “We must make hard decisions, but we will be guided by our agency core values and share leadership as we navigate this challenge.”
