Interior Chief: No RIFs Planned, Emphasizes Buyouts and Front‑Line Park Staffing

Interior Secretary Burgum told the House Appropriations Committee there are no plans for workforce reductions (RIFs) at the Interior Department after last fall signaled a plan to cut more than 2,000 jobs; a buyout/early retirement program has been completed and many RIF notices have been rescinded. Congress imposed guardrails in FY2026 to protect National Park Service staffing, noting parks’ popularity, while Burgum said the focus should be on filling public-facing park roles. The department is consolidating operations and moving wildland firefighting programs toward a broader consolidation with USDA’s Forest Service, with the FY2027 budget reflecting these reassignments; some NPS staff were remote and not park-facing, and transfers are within the budget rather than new cuts. This is a developing story.