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BILLINGS — The Trump administration proposes consolidating federal wildland firefighting efforts into a single agency. Critics, including former federal officials, caution this could lead to chaos and increase catastrophic wildfire risks. The centralization would move firefighting from five agencies into a new Federal Wildland Fire Service within the U.S. Interior Department.
Thousands of personnel from the U.S. Forest Service, where most federal firefighters are employed, would be reassigned to the new agency. The financial implications of this change remain undisclosed.
In its early months, the Trump administration reduced wildfire mitigation funding and cut firefighter numbers through layoffs and retirements. This led to a loss of over 1,600 qualified firefighters in the Forest Service and hundreds more in the Interior Department.
As climate change intensifies fires, more than 65,000 wildfires burned nearly 9 million U.S. acres last year. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told the House Appropriations Committee the new agency aims to streamline firefighting efforts. “We want more firefighters on the front lines,” he stated.
Firefighter groups and former officials warn the restructuring could disrupt current efforts and shift focus from proactive fire prevention to reactive firefighting. “You will not suppress your way to success,” said Steve Ellis, a former wildfire incident commander.
Some former Forest Service officials argue consolidating firefighting duties could increase large fires’ likelihood. Timothy Ingalsbee from Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology warned it could severely impact the Forest Service’s land management role.
Despite bipartisan support from some lawmakers, a previous merger proposal revealed significant drawbacks, such as a focus on fire suppression over preventive measures.
Burgum indicated that current operations are being coordinated with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, independent of legislative approval.
The Forest Service reduced its workforce in February, tied to efforts by Elon Musk to cut federal spending. A court ruling eventually reinstated many staff, but lawmakers say further measures are needed.
The Forest Service and Interior Department currently employ about 9,450 and 6,700 wildland firefighters, respectively. Planning for the upcoming wildfire season has been challenging for states due to the uncertain federal workforce support.
Additionally, the Trump administration rolled back environmental protections related to logging on over half of U.S. national forests, affecting areas with high wildfire risk.
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