"SEATTLE — Few public universities get more federal research funding than the University of Washington. 

So, as President Trump has already canceled or suspended about a quarter of all funding for the National Science Foundation and National Institutes for Health, the atmosphere on this leafy Seattle campus is tense.

The anxiety is even trickling down to lower-profile places once considered safe from White House politics, like UW's School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Here, newly proposed U.S. Forest Service funding cuts and a larger reorganization of the agency would have immediate consequences as the West looks poised for an epic summer of wildfires and smoke. 

"We have a wildfire crisis in the West [and] in the United States," says Ernesto Alvarado, a fire ecologist and associate professor at the school."

Kirk Siegler reports for NPR June 12, 2026. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"The Forest Service Wants To Close Research Hubs To Save Money. That Could Be Costly" (NPR) [3]

"Trump Administration Falls Behind On Wildfire Prevention With Risky Fire Season Ahead" (NPR) [4]

"New Burn Bans And Trump's Battle With Immigration And DEI Are Impacting Forest Fires" (NPR) [5]

"Lawmakers Demand Answers After We Revealed Forest Service Spraying Roundup All Over Public Lands" (Mother Jones) [6]

"Ground Truth Blog" (Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics) [7]