As the U.S. moves towards peak fire season, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has signed a memo signaling the Department of Agriculture’s approach to wildfire response under the Trump administration.
The memo – signed on Tuesday 20 May – directs the Forest Service to take several actions over the next 30 days, including policy changes for when the nation’s fire preparedness level is high.
At Preparedness Level 3 and above, Rollins directed USFS Chief Tom Schultz to “prioritize and redeploy the non-fire workforce” to support wildfire response. A Preparedness Level 3 is issued when the potential for wildland fires is normal for the time of year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, meaning it’s likely non-fire personnel will be deployed in 2025.
“This will include a necessary adjustment to the agency’s other program work,” Rollins’ memo said. “Exercise all available authorities, consistent with prior direction, to ensure the agency is using every tool and authority available to meet the Nation’s wildfire response needs.”

Rollins also told Schultz to identify the impact of “voluntary” departures on the firefighting and fire support workforce, and to remedy critical vacancies to ensure the proper resources are available. The directive was made just months after the department was forced to hire back all 6,000 USDA workers the Trump administration fired on Feb. 13.
The mass firing included thousands of federal land employees, around 75% of whom had secondary wildland fire duties, according to Grassroots Wildland Firefighters Vice President Riva Duncan, who obtained the numbers from the National Federation of Federal Employees’ Wildland Fire division.
It’s unclear how many of those workers returned to their jobs after the firing.
READ MORE: USDA hires back all 6,000 fired workers from past month, including public land employees
Rollins also signed a more general wildland firefighting memo with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on Tuesday, stating the nation’s wildland firefighters will have all necessary resources and support during 2025’s peak wildfire season.
That memo, addressed to top personnel at the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serivce, said their leadership would be essential to protecting people during the already above normal wildfire year.
“The scope and complexity of today’s wildfires require unity,” the memo said. “Success demands the seamless collaboration of Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies, along with community partners to maximize resources; enhance effectiveness; and ensure swift, coordinated responses. Together, we will prevent countless tragedies and protect the lands that support our way of life.”
