Doug Burgum, United States Secretary of the Interior and President Trump at the Reflecting Pool

November 11, 2026 - On Tuesday, the Coalition To Protect America’s National Parks responded to Secretary Burgum’s Plan to gut Department of Interior.

Emily Thompson, Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, issued the following statement in response to the Department of Interior “strategic  plan” released today:

“The strategic plan released today by Secretary Burgum would further gut an agency that has been decimated by staff reductions, budget cuts and gross mismanagement. All while consolidating power in Washington where Secretary Burgum will continue to do the bidding of President Trump and his vanity projects. Adding insult to injury, the plan also proposes selling off federal lands and opening up more federal land for development of data centers.

“In short, this isn’t a plan to revamp the Department of Interior, it is a plan to destroy it, and leave our National Parks and public  lands even more vulnerable.

“Congress should put an immediate stop to this ill-advised and ill-conceived plan”

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The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks represents over 5,100 current, former, and retired employees and volunteers of the National Park Service, with over 50,000 collective years of stewardship of America’s most precious natural and cultural resources. Recognized as the Voices of Experience, the Coalition educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation and protection of the National Park System, and mission-related programs of the National Park Service. More information can be found at https://protectnps.org.

Source: Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks