Randall Presses U.S. Forest Chief on Wildfire Preparedness as Trump Closes 57 of 77 Research Labs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Emily Randall (D, WA-06) pressed U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz on the Trump Administration's decision to close 57 out of 77 U.S. Forest Service research labs, including two in Washington state, ahead of the 2026 wildfire season. Under Schultz' leadership, the U.S. Forest Service has lost 6,000 workers through DOGE cuts and other factors, raising concerns about wildfire preparedness, forest health research, and public land management. According to the National Interagency Coordination Center, the entire Olympic Peninsula faces "above normal," wildfire risk for July and August 2026.

"Fire season is here and my entire district faces significant wildfire risk. My concerns are doubled when I think about how this administration has repeatedly attacked our federal workforce. Last year, they DOGED almost 600 employees at the National Weather Service and are proposing major changes affecting the agency's ability to monitor significant weather events, said Rep. Randall. "Now 57 of 77 research labs, including two in Washington State, are being shut down. I heard you say before that you still plan on doing some of the science work, but 57 of 77 labs shutting down seems to pose a significant risk for our ability to do that work."

*Video of Congresswoman Randall's hearing remarks is available HERE, and full transcript HERE.*

Randall also called attention to the $49 million in federal funding the U.S. Forest Service is currently withholding for Washington state due to new terms and conditions set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture: "How are these new terms and conditions, and the holdups they're causing in states like Washington, helping you achieve the goals of the administration's active management strategy with regards to state forestry agencies?"

Schultz replied: "...We are working through this, even with the state of Washington."

Congresswoman Randall's district (WA-06) includes Olympic National Forest, which spans more than two million acres across the Olympic Peninsula. The U.S. Forest Service plays a critical role in wildfire prevention, scientific research, recreation management, and supporting the rural economies that depend on public lands.

Since being sworn into Congress, Rep. Randall has been a fierce advocate for WA State's Public and Tribal lands. In May, Rep. Randall grilled Trump's Interior Secretary, Doug Burgum, on the President's Fiscal Year 2027 budget which would slash funding for the National Parks Service by 25% while setting aside $10 billion for Trump 'beautification' projects in Washington, D.C. - one of those projects being Trump's $13.1 million requestto repaint the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Last year, Randall reintroduced the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,legislation that would permanently protect more than 126,500 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers and their major tributaries-a total of 464 river miles-as Wild and Scenic Rivers. In August 2025, Randall introduced the EQUAL Parks Act to provide legal permanence to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within public lands agencies. The bill was introduced in response to Trump directing the National Park Service to remove exhibits and plaques at National Parks, including an exhibit depicting George Washington's treatment of enslaved people at the President's House in Philadelphia.