Sierra Club Statement on Trump Administration’s Wildland Firefighting Announcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. -This week, the Trump administration announced their next steps in a sweeping reorganization of the country's wildland firefighting system.

In a press release, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the launch of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service. The move is the culmination of Donald Trump's Executive Order from June 2025 directing federal agencies to simplify wildfire response operations and increase the use of technology in those efforts.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum previously hailed the planned move as trimming of unnecessary bureaucracy, but he did not acknowledge the specialization that is often required to fight wildfires across nearly 200 million acres of national forests in the United States, which include wide varieties of geological and weather conditions.

Interior also announced Brian Fennessy would oversee the creation of the Service. Fennessy previously served as Chief of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and as Fire Chief of the Orange County Fire Authority. He has also previously worked for the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

In addition to the June 2025 executive order, Trump has made significant cuts to the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and other federal land management agencies. This led to the firing of thousands of staffers, including wildland firefighting staff.

In response, Alex Craven, Sierra Club's Forest Campaign Manager, released the following statement:

"Federal land managers absolutely must be concerned with protecting lives, communities, infrastructure, and landscapes in an era when wildfires are increasing in severity and intensity. But after one year in power, the Trump administration has focused more on slashing agency budgets and firing experienced staff rather than ensuring those agencies are able to fulfill the critical responsibilities they've been tasked with. If this administration were serious about taking on the wildfire crisis, it would invest in our national forests and public lands, and the staff who manage them, not slash departmental budgets and chaotically lay off wildfire staff."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.