Noting that the lands, partners and operational challenges it serves are overwhelmingly in the West, the agency said in a news release it hopes to “begin a sweeping restructuring” of the office by moving its leadership closer to the forests and communities it serves.

“Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground, where forests and communities are found — not just behind a desk in the capital. Through this transition, we will strengthen our connection to the forests and the people who depend on them, while supporting our employees and honoring the dedication that has always defined our service,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a statement.

In addition to the relocation, the Forest Service will also start a transition to a “state-based organizational model,” in which 15 state directors will be assigned throughout the country overseeing the agency’s operations within one or more states. The office locations are planned for states including Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, New Mexico, among others.

All regional offices are set to close under the new model, though some facilities will be retained to serve other needs. The formal restructure will be implemented over the coming year, the agency said in the release.

The news was welcomed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who said in a social media post that the relocation means hundreds of jobs coming to the state “and better, faster decisions on the ground for the people who rely on our public lands, from ranchers and timber producers to families who work and recreate there.”

Cox also said in a statement that moving into a more state-focused approach “strengthens federalism and helps the Forest Service do its job more effectively.”

However some environmentalists were less pleased with the announcement, arguing that the agency’s headquarters should be where federal policy is made.

“This is a costly bureaucratic reshuffle that will hand more power to corporations and states like Utah to log, mine and drill the public’s forests for private profit. It punishes career staff who deserve so much better,” Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement. “National forests belong to all Americans. Our nation’s capital is where federal policy is made and where the Forest Service headquarters belongs.”

Under the restructuring, the Forest Service is also planning on consolidating research operations leadership, going from governing structures in multiple research stations to a single research organization located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

“These changes are designed to unify research priorities, accelerate the application of science to management decisions, and reduce administrative duplication,” the agency said in the release.