Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told the Senate subcommittee that a major goal of the administration’s FY2026 budget blueprint is to reduce back‑office overhead, modernize IT systems and cut contractor dependence so the department can redeploy savings into fieldwork such as park operations and firefighting.

Burgum described an incomplete internal workforce accounting on his arrival and said that the department lacked reliable duty station records and modern HR/IT systems. He told the committee: “The IT systems are so incredibly outdated,” and described difficulty determining how many staff physically worked in parks versus in regional or headquarters offices.

Senators questioned how personnel reductions and reorganization would be implemented without degrading core functions. Sen. Patty Murray said cuts have already been extensive, alleging the National Park Service had lost 18% of staff and that the removal of certain frontline or technical positions (for example, a plumber at Mount Rainier) indicated harmful, uncoordinated layoffs.

Burgum responded that some of the positions targeted are support roles and contractors that, he argued, may be better managed differently. He said the department could “increase the number of people in the park, but still decrease the number of people on payroll at the National Park Service because we're eliminating overhead, back office, IT, and HR roles.”

Members pressed for specifics about which positions would remain and which would be cut. Burgum promised more engagement with the committee and said the department will provide details as plans firm up, including quarterly meetings between DOI senior staff and the subcommittee.

Several senators voiced specific concern about wildfire preparedness and law‑enforcement staffing, saying reductions in support personnel could make firefighting and emergency response more dangerous. Burgum and the administration signaled support for maintaining firefighting capacity and described ongoing interagency coordination to unify wildland fire efforts.