Tell DOI Secretary Burgum to Reject DOGE Staff Cuts

Members of the influential House Natural Resources Committee are pushing back against the Trump administration’s plans to reduce the staffing of the Department of the Interior (DOI) as part of its reckless DOGE initiative. As an agency at the forefront of our nation’s environmental stewardship, the DOI plays an essential role in safeguarding the integrity of our ecosystems and promoting efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Firing agency staff to placate Donald Trump and Elon Musk would undermine the DOI’s ability to deliver vital services, such as preserving our public lands, protecting wildlife, and managing natural resources in a way that aligns with sustainability and climate resilience. These ecosystem services are crucial to mitigating climate change, from the carbon sequestration provided by forests and wetlands to the protection of biodiversity that ensures the health of our planet. Secretary Burgum knows this–as Governor of North Dakota, he committed to making his state carbon neutral by 2030. His plans to slash the workforce betray his responsibility to the country as Interior Secretary as well as his own past actions.

Department employees, including scientists, land managers, conservationists, and administrators, contribute immeasurably to the resilience of our natural resources. The DOI is in charge of our 400 national parks, 560 national wildlife refuges and nearly 250 million acres of other public lands. They are responsible for ensuring that sound environmental practices are integrated into policy, guiding the protection of endangered species, and supporting the ongoing recovery of critical habitats. These roles are more vital than ever as we face intensifying climate challenges.

By radically reducing staff numbers as sought by Trump and Musk, this plan would weaken the Department's capacity to address these pressing issues. Furthermore, these cuts would place more pressure on the remaining workforce entering peak visitation season on our public lands–threatening these wild spaces and the vital role they serve in slowing climate change.

The environmental protection and climate resilience work carried out by DOI staff is too vital to be compromised. Instead, the focus should be on enhancing the agency’s ability to tackle the climate crisis head-on, strengthening our workforce, and empowering them with the resources needed to protect our planet for future generations.

Sign the petition to stand with members of the House Natural Resources Committee and urge Secretary Burgum to  withdraw any plans to reduce the workforce at the Department of the Interior under the DOGE initiative.

https://huffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/huffman-dexter-demand-documents-on-trump-administrations-doge-mandated-reductions-in-force-plans

Mangrove habitat photo credit USFWS