TWS on new Interior wildfire agency: Focus on funding land managers, fuel reduction instead
BLM fire management activities in Central Oregon.
Lisa McNee (BLM)
"A new Wildland Fire Service will only add bureaucracy and disrupt the people who manage land and fight fire every day"
WASHINGTON D.C. (Jan. 12, 2026) The Department of the Interior announced plans to establish a new U.S. Wildland Fire Service. In response, The Wilderness Society said the administration should prioritize keeping communities safe by strengthening the land management workforce that prevents the worst fires through year-round stewardship, including work to reduce fuel loads and restoration.
Dan Hartinger, senior director for policy advocacy at The Wilderness Society, made the following statement about the news:
"Wildfire is getting worse, and communities need results, not reorganization that moves fire response away from the ground and into a bigger bureaucracy. A new Wildland Fire Service will only add bureaucracy and disrupt the people who manage land and fight fire every day. Congress is in the middle of a contentious appropriations debate, which is where the administration should be focused. Fully fund our land managers and wildland firefighters and support proven prevention work like fuels reduction, restoration and science-based planning so our children inherit healthier, safer landscapes."
Contact: newsmedia@tws.org / mgreenberg@tws.org
