Interior Department to Cut Over 2,000 Jobs Amid Ongoing Legal Challenges
The Interior Department is gearing up to cut more than 2,000 positions across its offices. Officials say these reductions aren’t directly tied to the current government shutdown, even though they were announced during it.
Details about the layoffs emerged in a recent court filing linked to a lawsuit by labor unions challenging workforce reductions initiated during the previous administration. Initially, they planned to eliminate 2,050 jobs, but that number might not capture the full extent of the cuts. Many positions are currently protected by a temporary restraining order from a federal judge.
The planned job reductions are spread across several key areas:
- 474 in the Bureau of Land Management
- 12 in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- 30 in the Bureau of Reclamation
- 7 in the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
- 143 in the Fish and Wildlife Service
- 272 in the National Park Service
- 7 in the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
- 770 in Interior headquarters and the Business Center
- 335 in the U.S. Geological Survey
Rachel Borra, the chief human capital officer at Interior, stated that these cuts are part of a broader strategy to streamline operations, separate from the ongoing budget issues. “These planning efforts began long before the current funding lapse,” she noted.
Interestingly, the planned cuts will touch 89 competitive areas, a significant increase from earlier estimates of 68. These adjustments were made after Judge Susan Illston expanded her interim protections to cover additional employee groups.
The National Park Service stands to be heavily affected, with some regions facing cuts up to 31%. Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, warned that these layoffs could severely impact scientific research vital to energy, insurance, and transportation. “These cuts would not only harm the National Park Service but would also dismantle essential regional offices that manage public lands,” she said.
In addition to field offices, the cuts also extend to headquarters, impacting important areas like contracting and IT, with hundreds of positions on the chopping block.
As public sentiment swirls around the layoffs, many express concern about the long-term implications for environmental science and park management. The situation remains fluid, and the outcome could reshape the structure of essential government operations for years to come.
For more information on this topic, you can refer to the court filing here.
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