Today, we announced that a contract is awarded to Research Triangle Institute to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study on consolidating wildland fire management operations within the federal government.

As many of you know, this work is part of the broader national wildfire reform efforts. In June 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order, “Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response,” aimed at strengthening the nation’s wildfire readiness by increasing efficiency across federal agencies and giving state and local leaders greater authority to support wildfire mitigation and response efforts.  

Following that directive, the U.S. Department of the Interior consolidated its fire programs into the newly established U.S. Wildland Fire Service. While the Forest Service is not included in that consolidation, we continue to work closely with the Interior Department and other federal partners to coordinate wildfire response nationwide.

Together, USDA and Interior have advanced several interagency efforts to streamline operations, reduce redundancy and strengthen interagency wildfire response. These actions span technology modernization, improved communication systems, enhanced detection capabilities, updated training approaches and more efficient response protocols — all while minimizing duplication across agencies.

Additionally, Congress requested further examination of the proposed federal wildfire response alignment. In the joint explanatory statement accompanying the fiscal 2026 Interior Appropriations Act, lawmakers directed Secretary Rollins, in consultation with Secretary Burgum, to contract with an independent, non-partisan research organization that has expertise in federal land management to conduct a comprehensive study. That study will look at the feasibility of consolidating the Forest Service Fire and Aviation program with the new U.S. Wildland Fire Service.  

Before moving forward, both departments were required to consult with the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations committees to determine whether additional factors should be considered.

The contract awarded to Research Triangle Institute fulfills this congressional directive and initiates the comprehensive review. The feasibility study will assess potential efficiencies and anticipated impacts of separating the Forest Service’s wildland fire management operations from management of the forests and grasslands to consolidate federal wildland fire management operations, as described in the President’s FY27 budget.

Under the contract, Research Triangle Institute will study operations, organizational structure, workforce, financial management, wildland fire infrastructure, interoperability and stakeholder coordination to understand how consolidation could affect delivery of the Forest Service’s land management mission, operational readiness, and program continuity.  

The final report is expected by February 15, 2027. The findings will inform departmental and congressional decision-making on the consolidation of federal wildland fire management operations, as outlined in the President’s FY27 budget.

We will keep you updated as the study progresses and as we learn more from the review. Thank you for your continued dedication to our mission and for the essential role you play in protecting communities. 

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