WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led 8 of her Democratic colleagues in urging Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies leadership to include funding for the U.S. Forest Service and Rangeland Research and Development Programs (Forest Service R&D) in the upcoming fiscal year (FY2027) funding bill. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration announced a plan to close the majority of the U.S. Forest Service research facilities including the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF) headquarters in Hilo, Hawaii and the quarantine facility in Volcano, Hawaii. In a letter to Subcommittee Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the senators stressed the importance of Forest Service R&D, requesting no less than $273.5 million to cover the Forest Service R&D program and staffing costs, equal to the FY26 funding level enacted by Congress, and stop the proposed closures.
“Forest Service R&D advances […] are critical for addressing the escalating challenges facing America’s forests, rangelands and communities,” wrote the senators. “Forest Service Scientists conduct research that land managers, states, Tribes, private landowners, and local governments rely on to make informed decisions about wildfire risk reduction, invasive species management, climate resilience, watershed protection, and sustainable forest products.”
Since 1905, Forest Service R&D has used forests as “living laboratories” to help researchers, governments, and communities alike better understand their surrounding natural environment. IPIF is the only research facility of its kind in the region, which not only covers the State of Hawaii, but also the U.S. territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and through the Compact of Free Association, the nation-states of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. Data collected by Forest Service R&D enables researchers, local communities, and governments to understand in real time the state of forest health. In addition to promoting environmental conservation, data collected by this program also helps protect communities from natural disasters—including wildfires. The senators highlighted how the recent uptick in wildfires across the country make forest research more critical than ever.
“The need for this research has never been greater. Wildfires, drought, and forest health crises are straining federal, state, and local resources. Forest Service R&D provides the science that allows for […] more resilient forests,” the senators continued.
The senators outlined the unique nature of Forest Service R&D, emphasizing how the program creates irreplicable data that supports, protects, and ultimately lowers costs for communities across the county. Continued investments in forest health would help ensure that forest research programs can continue across the country.
“The program’s work also advances innovations in carbon storage and climate smart land management—all of which help reduce costs and improve outcomes across the landscape,” the Senators wrote.
The senators concluded their letter by raising alarms about Forest Service R&D staff loss, expressing how the program’s scientific capacity depends on staff and resource availability. These concerns come after reports of understaffing at forest research facilities including IPIF. Earlier this year, Senator Hirono introduced legislation that would ensure adequate staffing at IPIF. Currently, IPIF is operating with staff below the minimum threshold proposed by the bill.
In addition to Senator Hirono, the letter was signed by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
Senator Hirono has long championed forest conservation and research initiatives in Hawaii and across the nation. In October 2025, Senator Hirono urged U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to reconsider the Trump Administration’s decision to eliminate funding for the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Ecosystems Mission Area (EMA), which supports critical research that helps our country in facilitating conservation management, as well as understanding and responding to environmental threats. In September 2025, she introduced the Tropical Plant Health Initiative Act to expand research and grant funding opportunities to help combat pests and diseases affecting tropical plants including coffee plants, macadamia trees, and other iconic Hawaii staples. Senator Hirono has also introduced the Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act, in each Congress since 2022. This legislation would help restore native forests in Hawaii by enabling federal agencies – including the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) – to more closely coordinate with the State of Hawaii to prevent the spread of Rapid Ohia Death.
The full text of the letter is available here and below.
Dear Chair Murkowski and Ranking Member Merkley:
As your subcommittee considers its fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bill, we write to request that you provide no less than $61.5 million for the U.S. Forest Service Forest and Rangeland Research and Development Programs (Forest Service R&D) and no less than $212 million for salaries and expenses for staff to effectively execute the Forest Service R&D program.
Forest Service R&D advances science, technology, and innovation to improve the health and use of our Nation's forests and grasslands. These advances are critical for addressing the escalating challenges facing America’s forests, rangelands, and communities.
The program’s work, dating back to 1905, is foundational to solving some of the most pressing natural resource issues of our time. Forest Service scientists conduct research that land managers, states, Tribes, private landowners, and local governments rely on to make informed decisions about wildfire risk reduction, invasive species management, climate resilience, watershed protection, and sustainable forest products. Their findings directly support healthier forests, safer communities, and stronger rural economies.
The need for this research has never been greater. Wildfires, drought, and forest health crises are straining federal, state, and local resources. Forest Service R&D provides the science that allows for more effective fuel treatments such as prescribed fire, and better post fire recovery to establish more resilient forests. The program’s work also advances innovations in carbon storage and climate smart land management — all of which help reduce costs and improve outcomes across the landscape.
Further, the Forest Service R&D program maintains a nationwide network of experimental forests and research stations that serve as living laboratories. These sites generate long term data that no other institution in the country can replicate. The program partners extensively with universities, state agencies, and Tribal nations ensuring that research investments benefit communities across the country.
We are very concerned about recent staff losses within Forest Service R&D and encourage sustained funding from previous fiscal years to ensure that the program can be effectively administered throughout the country. Forest Service personnel provide a unique network of expertise across the country that is invaluable to local communities as they experience increasing threats to their environment.
Sustained and enhanced funding for Forest Service R&D and staff is essential to maintaining this scientific capacity. Without it, land managers will lack the tools and information needed to protect lives, property, and natural resources in an era of rapidly changing conditions.
We ask that you support strong funding for the Forest Service Research and Development Program at no less than $61.5 million and for salaries and expenses at no less than $212 million in FY27. Continued investment in this program and staff is an investment in the safety, resilience, and economic vitality of communities nationwide.
Sincerely,
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