Two U.S. Forest Service research facilities in northern Minnesota will remain open after facing possible closure under the agency’s restructuring plan. Located in Grand Rapids and Ely, the stations conduct research on sustainable forest management, peatlands, and climate change.
Facilities help protect natural resources
This spring, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced a nationwide restructuring effort that included evaluating 57 facilities for possible closure. Two research stations in Ely and Grand Rapids were among those under consideration. Staff at the Grand Rapids location focus on ecological forestry, exploring ways to manage forests more naturally. Their work has attracted national and international attention. They also continue to research peatlands and their role in carbon storage and climate change.
According to the agency’s report, the facilities will remain open because they “operate under zero-cost arrangements, support critical research and infrastructure, and/or are part of the experimental forest network.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she and other officials urged the USFS to keep the two northern Minnesota research stations open, citing their importance to research and area residents.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Klobuchar said, “I repeatedly pressed the U.S. Forest Service to protect Minnesota’s three Forest Service research facilities, and I am glad they will remain open. These facilities support local economies, perform world-class research, and help protect our natural resources both in Minnesota and across the country.”
Forest Service reviews facilities nationwide
The USFS recently completed a national review of its regional offices and research and development facilities. The evaluation found that roughly half of the agency’s 16,000 facilities are in “poor condition”. The agency also has about 500 lease agreements.
The report found that repairing facilities in need of work would cost more than $3 billion. It also found that one-third of its office space is used at less than 60% capacity. As a result, the agency identified 23 facilities with “little to no staffing” for closure.
Besides finding ways to save money, one goal of the review was to determine where the agency could consolidate facilities without disrupting its work or unnecessarily relocating employees. The USFS said employees affected by closures would move to other facilities in nearby areas.
“For too long, the Forest Service has carried the burden of underutilized space and buildings that sit partially vacant – square footage that drains resources without advancing the agency’s work,” Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden said in a news release. “This review gives us a path to put more of those dollars to work, supporting our employees, our mission and the American people.”
Restructuring should not disrupt work or lead to staff cuts
The changes are expected to occur over the next couple of years and, according to Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, will be implemented with minimal disruption, avoiding staff reductions.
“This announcement reflects our commitment to retain the staff our mission requires while responsibly reducing our facilities costs. Local facility consolidation will help us put more of our funding toward mission delivery and cutting-edge research, rather than brick and mortar we no longer need. This puts us on a sustainable path, retains our employees, and ensures we have the right geographic distribution of labs and duty stations across the agency. And importantly, this produces more than $8.8 million in annual lease savings and more than $8 million in deferred maintenance savings – ensuring American taxpayers receive the maximum value for every dollar entrusted to us,” Schultz said.
The USFS found that consolidating facilities could save $16 million. As a result, they continue to review other facilities within the National Forest System for possible changes or closures. Their restructuring plan is available online.
More info:
- Forest Service completes national facilities review, identifies more than $16M in savings – USFS
- Forest Service spares Minnesota research facilities from closure – The Minnesota Star Tribune