Wildfire risk, park maintenance and firefighter support dominate part of Burgum's confirmation hearing

Senators used Doug Burgum’s confirmation hearing to emphasize wildfire readiness, national park infrastructure needs and support for federal firefighters.

Nut graf: Multiple senators described recent catastrophic fires, rising costs of deferred maintenance in the National Park System, and the need for improved forest and fuels management; Burgum said he supports investing in parks and pledged to work with Congress on deferred maintenance funding.

Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) raised recent destructive wildfires and sought Burgum’s commitments on wildfire prevention and support for firefighters. Burgum said he would “work with” states and tribes on prevention and described the three components needed to start fires—oxygen, fuel load and spark—linking some risks to grid infrastructure and vegetation contact with power lines.

On park infrastructure, several senators urged continuing the Great American Outdoors Act and reauthorizing the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund. Burgum called deferred maintenance a “liability” for future generations and said he would examine formulas for allocating funds across the department; he noted that North Dakota also struggled to fund ongoing maintenance when he was governor.

Senators asked Burgum to support permanent pay increases and better recruitment and retention for federal wildland firefighters; Burgum acknowledged recruitment challenges and said federal firefighters perform an “essential job” and that he would support measures to bolster staffing and resources.

Ending: Committee members said they expect the nominee, if confirmed, to help speed wildfire mitigation efforts, back stable funding for federal firefighters and pursue sustainable maintenance funding for national parks and other Interior assets.