U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore announced today he is retiring next week after more than four decades working for the federal agency. Moore was appointed in 2021 by President Joe Biden. He was the first African American to serve as the chief of the Forest Service.

In his announcement, which was sent to all Forest Service employees this afternoon and then shared with Paddle and Portage, Moore says, “The past several weeks has been incredibly difficult” for himself and the agency.

“As part of a broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government, we parted ways with colleagues we worked alongside who successfully contributed to our mission, and who were valued members of our Forest Service team,” Moore wrote.

Moore’s announcement was later posted in its entirety on a Forest Service website under the headline “A note of reflection.”

In his missive to Forest Service employees, Moore writes:

“As you have likely read in the news or are personally experiencing, the federal government is undergoing a significant transformation. How agencies are structured, staffed, and operate is shifting, and the Forest Service is not exempt from these changes.

The past several weeks has been incredibly difficult. As part of a broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government, we parted ways with colleagues we worked alongside who successfully contributed to our mission, and who were valued members of our Forest Service team.

If you are feeling uncertainty, frustration, or loss, you are not alone. These are real and valid emotions that I am feeling, too. Please take care of yourselves and each other. I have been silent these last few weeks because these decisions are being made at a level above our organization, and I was and am learning about the changes the same time as many of you. Our focus now is on how we respond and adapt to new priorities and continue delivering on our mission with the workforce we have.

As we work together to meet new opportunities and expectations and leverage those we already deliver upon, give yourself and one another grace and support as our workforce evolves, including as we return to a stance of more in-office work (except for those of you who are always field going). Our workforce must be nimble and flexible, so we will not restrict ourselves to limited roles; instead, we will help one another across boundaries. I invite you to make suggestions about how we can continue to rise to the occasion and improve our service to the American people.

The workforce will continue to be unsettled for a while. Thank you for your dedication to our mission and for the work you carry out every day. You and the work you do are meaningful, and do not let anyone make you believe otherwise.”

As Moore suggests, employees of the U.S. Forest Service working in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and other public lands across the nation continue to face an uncertain future in terms of employment. That uncertainty turned up a notch this month after a federal judge declined to block the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program for federal employees. The offer, commonly referred to as “Fork in the Road,” has now expired. Following its expiration, multiple Forest Service employees who work on Superior National Forest were let go between Feb. 13 and 14, sources confirmed with Paddle and Portage. More layoffs are expected in the near future, according to information shared by Forest Service employees Feb. 26 with Paddle and Portage.

Across the nation, thousands of Forest Service employees are losing their jobs. Earlier this month, the Forest Service fired an estimated 3,400 people, many of whom were within their “probationary period” of employment, which means they are a recent hire or transferred to a new position within the agency.

As Paddle and Portage previously reported, the layoffs are part of a larger push by the Trump administration to shrink the federal workforce and slash government spending.

Moore, as the chief of the Forest Service, would have played a role in things ranging from proposed copper-nickel mines near the BWCA Wilderness to fire management in and around the Boundary Waters. The Forest Service is required to lead on all environmental reviews and NEPA analyses of projects on federal land, in this case the Superior National Forest. The Trump administration will likely appoint a new chief of the Forest Service in the near future.

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