Forest Service Chief Randy Moore will retire effective March 3, according to an email sent to agency staff Wednesday and viewed by POLITICO.  … Moore, who has led the agency that manages 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands since 2021 and became the first African American to serve as chief, is capping off a 45-year career with the Forest Service. … Lawmakers and officials from Western states have warned that President Donald Trump’s cuts to agencies like the Forest Service and funding freezes will threaten critical prevention and mitigation work, leaving the region woefully unprepared for the coming wildfire season.

Other natural resource agency resignation and layoff news:

• Capital Press (Salem, Ore.): Group sounds alarm over possible Corps of Engineers firings
• The New York Times: Trump said E.P.A. would lose 65 percent of staff. Then, a correction.​
• The Hill: Forest Service chief expresses ‘frustration’ over staffing loss in retirement announcement
• E&E News by Politico: Forest Service chief to retire next week
• USA Today: US Forest Service Chief Randy Moore announces retirement amid agency layoffs
• MyNewsLA: Rep. Chu joins coalition of lawmakers asking Trump to call off Forest Service layoffs