SRM Addresses Federal Workforce Reductions in Letters to Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of the Interior
SRM Addresses Federal Workforce Reductions in Letters to Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of the Interior
The Society for Range Management (SRM) has issued two critical letters to address the significant impact of federal workforce reductions on natural resource management. These letters, sent to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, emphasize the essential role of federal field professionals and researchers in sustaining rangelands and supporting landowners across the country.
In its letter to Secretary Rollins, SRM highlights the essential partnerships between federal field staff and agricultural producers:
“Rangelands comprise nearly 30% of the nation’s total land area—approximately 770 million acres—and are central to both our nation’s food supply and ecological health. These staffing reductions threaten to disrupt essential partnerships and diminish the future effectiveness of rangeland management that supports ranchers, rural economies, and vital landscapes.”
Addressing Secretary Burgum, SRM underscores the lasting consequences workforce reductions inflict on rangeland operations and resource management:
“The loss of this capacity will have far-reaching consequences for our nation’s public lands and those who rely on them. Many ranchers have already been waiting years for critically needed post-fire repair of fences, water structures, and other infrastructure. These delays place significant financial and operational burdens on permittees while stalling essential resource management.”
Both letters stress the importance of restoring federal positions to ensure that essential rangeland management, wildfire prevention, and infrastructure maintenance efforts can continue without further setbacks. SRM also highlights the immediate economic and operational burdens these delays impose on ranchers and rural communities.
Through these conversations with federal leaders, SRM remains committed to elevating the voices of rangeland professionals while working toward practical reforms that prioritize the restoration of field staff and the strengthening of rangeland management programs.
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