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Keep Wildfire Research Stations Open Before Homes Are Destroyed

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Sponsor: The Rainforest Site

Closing Forest Service wildfire research stations now could leave forests and communities with fewer tools to face growing fire danger.

Firefighter in protective gear sprays a powerful stream of water toward a towering wall of flames and smoke.

The United States Forest Service plans to close research stations that study wildfire risk, drought, forest health, and climate impacts even as communities across the country face worsening fire threats1. These stations do not just house staff. They support field science that helps experts understand how forests burn, recover, and change over time.

Public Safety Depends On Strong Fire Science

According to reporting on the planned reorganization, the closures would come during an already intense wildfire year2. By late March, more than 1.6 million acres had already burned across the United States, far above the recent average for that point in the season3. When research stations close, the public risks losing practical knowledge that helps guide prevention, land management, and emergency planning.

These Stations Help Protect Forests And Communities

Forest Service researchers study the conditions that make fires more severe and the strategies that may reduce future damage1. Their work informs decisions that affect wildlife habitat, water resources, public lands, and nearby homes. Closing stations in the middle of growing climate and wildfire pressure could disrupt ongoing studies and push experienced scientists out of public service2.

The Forest Service Must Protect Knowledge Not Cut It

Wildfire policy should rest on strong evidence and steady public investment. The Forest Service should keep these research stations open, staffed, and able to continue their work without interruption. Forests and communities need more preparation, not less.

Sign the petition and urge the Forest Service to keep wildfire research stations open before more science is lost and more communities face preventable harm.

More on this issue:

  1. Austyn Gaffney, The New York Times (3 April 2026), "Forest Service Will Close Research Stations That Study Wildfire Risk."
  2. National Today Staff, National Today (3 April 2026), "Forest Service to Shutter Key Wildfire Research Stations."
  3. Marianne Lavelle, Inside Climate News (2 April 2026), "Forest Service Shake Up Comes As Risky Wildfire Season Looms."

The Petition

To the Chief of the United States Forest Service and the leadership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,

I am writing to urge you to keep U.S. Forest Service research stations that study wildfire risk open and serving the public.

This is the wrong time to shut down the scientific facilities that help communities understand fire danger, forest decline, drought stress, and climate impacts. The planned reorganization would close key research stations and consolidate operations even as the country enters another dangerous wildfire season. When fire risk is rising, the nation needs more scientific capacity, not less.

These stations are not optional. They support long-term field studies, track changing forest conditions, and help land managers make informed decisions about prevention, restoration, and response. When that science is weakened, the public loses practical knowledge that can help protect forests, wildlife habitat, property, water resources, and human lives.

Closing research sites also risks driving away experienced scientists and staff whose expertise cannot be replaced quickly. Abrupt restructuring can reduce morale, disrupt ongoing studies, and leave public institutions less prepared to serve communities facing growing wildfire danger. That kind of instability is especially harmful when fire seasons are becoming longer, hotter, and harder to predict.

Please halt the closure of research stations that study wildfire risk and related forest threats. Preserve the field-based scientific capacity the public depends on. Ensure that these facilities remain staffed, funded, and able to continue their work without interruption. Public land policy should protect the nation with evidence, continuity, and compassion for the communities that live with wildfire danger every year.

The public deserves a Forest Service that strengthens preparedness instead of dismantling it. Keeping these research stations open will help protect forests, support sound decision-making, and maintain the scientific foundation needed for safer communities and healthier landscapes.

These actions will ensure a better future for all.

Sincerely,

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