Protect Our Public Lands!

I am writing today as one of your many constituents deeply concerned about funding cuts to public lands and the agencies that manage them that have been proposed within the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The most recent bill shared by the House includes cuts of 8%, 6.5%, 5.6%, and 20% respectively to the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Overall, the Department of Interior is facing a reduction of $61 million in funding. It also directed towards the Environmental Protection Agency, where up to 29% of funding could be redirected. These agencies are still reeling from mass firings and anticipate more in the future. Our National Parks and other public lands are facing their busiest visitor season, coinciding with high fire risk for most of the American West. The loss of more staff and funding will impact how our communities interact with public lands and waters. Staff ensure visitors are able to safely explore, learn from, and enjoy our public lands while mitigating interactions with sensitive landscapes. Adequate staffing is also crucial for quick response to disasters such as wildfires. Decimating the EPA and its science and technology branch will hamper our state and nation’s ability to respond to a changing climate and develop new solutions that will benefit our health and economy. In the California desert, temperatures are already higher, rain less consistent, and wildfires are more frequent. Meanwhile, the local Coachella Valley has some of the worst air quality in the nation. As climate change continues, the EPA must be fully funded to uplift the health of our communities. As significant as these cuts are, they pale in comparison to what was initially proposed in the President’s Budget. That initial draft included 33% across-the-board cuts for land management agencies and the rollback of $900 million for the landmark Land and Water Conservation Fund. I respectfully request that you oppose these drastic cuts to our public lands and environmental health and reject any attempts to implement more severe budget cuts to these already challenged agencies. Thank you.