Target: Doug Burgum, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Goal: Do not further undermine operations of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.
Two of the guardians of America’s lands and its wild inhabitants are under strain once again. In likely response to imminent Congressional turnover and the oversight that will come with it, the Trump administration’s Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced potential major restructuring of the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The former oversees U.S. federal lands, while the latter manages hundreds of wildlife refuges across the country.
Employees and advocates are worried about the lack of transparency regarding what will be done, which has thus far only been disclosed as changes in work locations. The interior department had previously used this same vague language to shutter multiple research stations in the U.S. Forest Service. And there is reason to worry, as deep staffing cuts and the withholding of millions of dollars in pledged funds have already crippled many operations of the National Park Service.
Sign the petition below to demand the interior department stop sowing chaos and instead provide the protectorates of American parks and wildlife with a stable foundation.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Burgum,
The proposed “realignment” of the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reads like a concerning political power play and an effort to skirt accountability about exactly where funds intended for America’s lands and its wildlife are going. The Department of the Interior’s allegiance is to its mission to preserve and protect this nation’s rich natural and ecological heritage. You took this oath, and you must honor it.
Release promised investments for these agencies, show good faith to employees that have strived to fulfill the DOI’s stated mission, and do not create more instability that will only harm this mission.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Chris F.
